The Newcomers - Book One
by Fyrie
Summary: Based on Ahdeya's tales of the Yeahlika people, this is a follow on. Some members of the new cast of CATS are flung into the Yeahlika Universe. How will they deal?
1. The Newcomers: Book 1 - Part 1

Twinkling mischievously, dark brown eyes settled on Nick's wrists, blinking innocently

Twinkling mischievously, dark brown eyes settled on Nick's wrists, blinking innocently. One slim, nut-brown leg slowly wound its way between his own, snagging his calf and, jerking sharply, pulled his feet out from under him before he had a chance to realise what was going on.

"Ari!" Taking the two other players with him, the tall Irishman landed in a heap on the floor, Sara's body falling on top of his, his arms tangled with Tony's.

"What?" The young Nigerian girl grinned impishly at him, standing up easily, twisting out of the contorted positions she had maintained moments earlier. 

"You did that!"

Brushing her blue t-shirt down primly, she shook her head. "Don't blame me for your lack of balance." Her low voice had a soft lilting accent to it.

"That's a good point." Groaned Tony, rubbing his head and pushing Sara's slim legs off his. "But I don't understand how we were conned into playing this!" Tossing his thick hair back he shook his head. "It's a kids game after all!"

"And you still can't play it." His twin crowed from the sofa. "I think you have to be the worst player of Twister, EVER!"

Sara Braithwaite shook her head with a giggle. How so many adults could consistently be such a lot of fun was beyond her, particularly as she was the only non-'celebrity' among them.

The twins, Tony and Toni, were re-known for their double act, while Nick was a well-reputed choreographer and dance instructor. Not to mention a hot stripper in the bargain, she mentally added with a grin.

"What's all the hullaballoo about?" An obnoxious, upper class, nasally English accent put in, more than a hint of annoyance and sheer boredom in the tone. "Are you immature children playing again?"

Clambering to his feet, Nick did his best Munkustrap salute, feigning a polite bow to the newcomer. "How are ya, Mr McFadgen?" He grinned, exaggerating his own thick, Irish accent. "Top o' the mornin' to ye!"

Biting back a grin, Andrew McFadgen shook his head, stooping his shoulders to reduce his impressive 6'3" to a shivering 5'8" and shaking his head mournfully. "Ye see, these kittens just don't get trained how they should…its ridiculous." He intoned gravely, his hands shaking.

"And someone is _trying_ to get into character." Rolling her eyes, Toni lazily draped herself along the couch, swinging her feet up onto her brother's shoulder.

"Trying?" Andrew turned to her, a look of mock-indignation in his brandy-brown eyes. "_Trying?_ I'll have you know I'm the best actor in this company! I know seventy speeches by heart! And I once played Growltiger! Could do it again!"

"Oh brother…" Sara buried her head in her hands, her honey-coloured braid falling over her shoulder. "On our day off from rehearsal…someone shut him up! Please!"

"Come, Lady Griddlebone!" His hands around her waist, he hoisted her into the air – shrieking – above his head, his own voice sinking several octaves. "Sing with me! Sing our last duet, my love, or I'll not put you down!"

"Help!" She squealed with laughter, kicking her legs weakly, pummelling his arms with her fists. "Genghis! Save me! Save me from this lunatic!"

Always willing to join in a game, Tony leapt to his feet, puffing out his chest proudly. "I'll save you, Gliddlebone!" He announced, falling into character as easily as the rest of them. Grabbing a pillow, he swung it at McFadgen. "Aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie!"

"Guys! Guys!" Holding up her hands, struggling to hold in her laughter, Ariadne drew herself up to her full four feet, six inches. "Do I need to remind you it is our day off? That we don't need to do anything?"

Without warning, Sara burst into her Griddlebone soliloquy, perched one Andrew's muscular shoulder as Tony grabbed at her ankles and attempted to pull her off. 

"Hey!" Jumping up on the table, Ariadne started bouncing up and down. "Pay attention to me! Me! Hey! I'm here!" Waving frantically, she jumped one time too many and crashed through the wood. "Er…"

Caught as a human tug-of-war rope, Sara was already in pain from laughing too much when she looked over and saw Ariadne standing – subdued – in the centre of the shattered table. "Oh geez!"

"Too much caffeine, Etcetera?" Toni chuckled, lazily opening one indigo eye to regard the little dancer. "Or did Tugger just walk into the room?"

Slipping out from under the ruined table frame, the little dancer stuck her tongue out. "Very funny." She muttered, brushing wood chips off her shorts. "If Tugger was here, I wouldn't have been dancing on the table!"

"Put…me…down!" Amid giggles, Sara managed to speak, as Nick joined in the tug of war, by grabbing her round the waist. "I…no…laughing!"

"Can I tickle her?" Bounding over, Ariadne looked hopefully up at the three guys, in spite of Sara's demented screams of dissent and various profanities.

"Be my guest." As the resident Munkustrap – on this, the latest British tour – Nick seemed to have the final say in every kind of trouble-making even that occurred within the confines of the hotel's four walls. "We still have to make her pee herself once before the tour starts."

"Nooooooooooo!" Squirming frantically, the five feet of the slight dancer was nothing against the three male dancers, all of whom were well over the six-foot mark. 

"There's NO escape!" Breaking into his demented Growltiger laugh, McFadgen resorted to his native accent. "Och aye, struggle if ye want, but there's nay escape! Nay escape at all!"

*

"What's going on in here?" Nervously pushing the door open, Philip Calvers almost wished he hadn't bothered. Almost wished he hadn't taken the job as tour supervisor. Almost wished he had a regular nine-to-five job. Only almost though. 

Despite the mysteries and eerie stories surrounding the American productions of CATS, he and the other managers were all sceptical about the main 'theory' of alien abduction. "Americans," They said, "Always like to make things sillier than they are."

Taking in the scene before him, the relatively serious supervisor was hard-pressed to stifle a laugh. A crumpled twister board lay, trodden underfoot, the foetal figure of Sara Braithwaite curled – red-faced and gasping – in the centre, at the feet of the three men.

Looking away innocently, all three had there's hands clasped behind their backs, whistling as if they hadn't a care in the world. The eldest – thirty-seven year old McFadgen – ran a hand through his mussed, silvering, dark-brown hair, coughing to stifle a laugh.

Between Andrew's legs, Ariadne Mzimba clutched at his thigh, her legs wrapped around his ankle, her eyes wide with innocence, as Tony smoothed back his hair into a ponytail as usual.

Toni Smith sprawled on the sofa, her hands over her face, while the table beside her was lying on its side, a human-size hole through the centre.

"Er…" Grinning engagingly, Nick threw his arms around Andrew and Tony's shoulders, his green eyes sparkling merrily. "Nothing, Phil, old man. Why would anything be happening? I mean, its us. Would we do anything? Anything at all?"

"I choose not to answer that." Calvers replied cautiously. 

"A wise answer." McFadgen nodded gravely, folding his hands. "To make a decision…ah…that would be true insanity."

Grinning, the forty-seven year old shook his head and scratched his clean-shaven jaw. "I do have to know whose turn it is to pay for the damaged furniture, though." He nodded towards the table and Ariadne winced. 

"Er…it was Tugger's fault!" She mumbled, backing behind Andrew again, jumping sharply as her watch beeped. "Uh-oh! Gotta go, make a phone call!"

On her hands and knees, she fled the room, leaving Philip to inspect the damage, as the others – with the exception of Toni – started to clear up.

*

Running down the hall, Ariadne gripped her key in her slim brown hand, glancing back to make certain none of the others had followed.

It was true – they were friends. But some things had to be kept private. After all, she had only known these people for several short weeks and something as big as her secret might mean she would have to leave them.

The tour was something she had always dreamed of. Ever since she had seen CATS, ten years previously, all she had wanted to do was appear in the show and she wasn't about to sacrifice it now. Just for some silly little secret.

Slipping into her room, she hastily locked the door and reached into the drawer of her bedside cabinet, her fingers wrapping around the smooth surface of the bottle. Shaking it, she nodded at the reassuring rattle from within.

Opening the safety lid, she tipped a couple of pills into her hand and walked to the bathroom to get a glass of water.

Staring at the pills sadly, she swirled the water in her glass for several minutes. It seemed so unfair. After everything else she had to put up with, she couldn't give up these things. As she did every day, she dropped the pills onto her tongue and – washing them down with the water - muttered. "Bottoms up."

*

"Great news!" Walking down the hall again, the twins had pounced on the little dancer, along with Sara. The Twister fiasco of the day before seemed to have been forgotten. "The costumes… some more'll be ready this morning. In time for rehearsal!"

"Cool!" Sara enthused, her arm around her roommate's slim shoulder, as they walked down to the dining room. "I can't wait to see my Griddlebone costume!"

"What about us?" Toni playfully slapped her brother, grabbing his long, black ponytail. "Can you believe we're gonna look the same for the first time? How weird will that be?"

"You look weird enough as it is." The twenty-year-old avoided another slap from his sister and grinned cheekily. It was true that they looked totally un-identical. 

Despite being twins, they had done everything in their power to look different. Tony's once-red hair had been grown and dyed jet-black, while his sister had opted to crop her own red mane. With a lot of money spent on sunbeds, Tony had tanned so much he was compared to a blue-eyed Antonio Banderas, but Toni was as white as could be, not even a freckle on her cheeks.

And they would have remained so dissimilar, if only they hadn't been cast – naturally – as the twins, Coricopat and Tantomile in CATS. Even before they got into character, there was an eerie, in-sync style between the duo.

"I've seen some of my Growltiger costume." Wandering out of his room to join them, Andrew grinned. "I'm gonna be a right stud."

"You and your split personalities." Shaking her head, Ariadne chuckled. "Can you please explain what 'a right stud' is and how it differs from 'a wrong stud'?"

"You, young madam," He wagged his finger at her reproachfully. "Are too cheeky for your own good. You know exactly what I mean."

Looping her arm around his waist, she nodded, grinning wickedly. "Lemme check this. A back-ground-haunting Ass…" She punctuated her words with a firm slap to his rear. "An arrogant, upper-class Gus…and a Scottish 'right stud'. Is that right?"

"You got it, toots." Patting her derriere, he winked. "Although the Ass is too good to hide in the background all the time."

"Cocky bugger!" Sara snorted, as they entered the dining room. "Can we get off the subject of his rear and end and talk food, please?"

Leaning over the buffet, Tony grabbed something in his hands and turned to Sara, a wickedly mischievous expression on his face. Holding out his hands, containing two rolls, he enquired. "How about some nice, firm buns?"

"Tony!"

"What?" Nursing an injured tone, the dancer pouted sadly. "You said you wanted to talk food."

The honey-blonde dancer gave him a push, her hand flying to her mouth as he tripped over Andrew's foot and knocked Ariadne into a trolley of plates and dishes.

"Oh Ari!" Hurrying to her friend's side, Sara moved to help her up, but Ariadne shook her head, staring at blood trickling from several small cuts, shards of glass prickling her flesh. "I'm fine. Just let me go and clean up." She muttered shortly, clambering to her feet and running out of the bustling room.

"I'll go and make sure she's all right." Squeezing Sara reassuringly on the shoulder, Andrew marched out of the room after the little dancer.

*

Hot tears ran down her face as she picked jagged bits of glass and splinters of china out of her smooth brown skin, blood dripping into the smooth white sink, mingling with the running water and disappearing down the plug hole.

"Ari?" Whirling around, she hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks with her long sleeves. "Are you all right, lass?"

Unable to answer, she turned back to the sink, pushing her hand under the water, yelping as it scalded her.

"Ari," McFadgen reached out to help her, but she leapt out of reach, shaking her head.

"Don't touch me." She whispered, holding her bloody hand to her chest. "Please, Andy, don't. I don't want you to get it…I mean…oh shi…" Faltering off, she sagged to her knees, knowing she had given away too much.

"Get it?" Kneeling down beside her, he tilted her tear-streaked face up to his, concern filling his dark eyes. "What's wrong, Ari? Are you sick?"

Biting back a sob, the little dancer stared up at him, suddenly looking like the little child she had been when the doctors told her what was wrong with her. Her eyes seemed too big for her face as she softly replied. "You…you could say that."

Stumbling to her feet, she gestured him to follow her into the main room and opened her drawer, handing him the small bottle of pills. Sinking down on the bed, she watched his expression change from puzzlement, to thoughtful, to startled understanding.

"People with HIV take this kind of medication." He said quietly. There it was. No fanfare. No fireworks. A simple statement of fact.

"Yeah…" Staring down at the floor, she shrugged sadly. "That's my main prescription…I have a lot, ya know. Don't have any choice anymore…" Rubbing her forehead wearily with her uninjured hand, she shrugged again. "I'm HIV positive. There. Now you know."

"Why didn't you tell us?" He asked, sitting down beside her, his voice hushed. She was just a kid. Only seventeen and she had been hiding something like this. "Didn't you trust us to understand?"

Wrapping her hands in her loose shirt, she shrugged her shoulders again. "Dunno. I thought they might get rid of me."

"C'mon, kid. You know they don't put down cast members. They might want to, but they're not allowed." Chucking her chin, he wrapped a strong arm around her shoulder, reassured by her soft laugh. "Listen, we're here for you. You have to trust us with stuff like this."

"Trust." She laughed harshly, slowly unwrapping her hand and gazing down at the punctured skin. "I trusted my old friends with my…secret." With a muffled sob, she managed to whisper. "They abandoned me. They thought even touching me would give them it."

"Oh, Ari…"

"Can you imagine?" She continued softly. "People you've known all your life jumping away so they won't be 'infected' by your dirty touch? And I don't even know how _I_ got it. It's just not right."

"It must have been terrible." Hugging her against his chest, he could feel rather than hear her crying. "But we're not like that. I mean, we're in show business. We all have encountered HIV and AIDS in some form. Why would we hate you for something that's beyond your control?"

"You're too good to be so understanding." She looked up at him, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. "Should I tell the others?"

Nodding, Andrew reassuringly squeezed her uninjured hand. "It would be better if you explained everything to them…we are friends, you know."

"Ya know," She remarked softly, gazing up into his concerned brown eyes, "For the big, rough n tough Growltiger, you're really just a big kitten."

His hand flew to his mouth in an attitude of shocked disbelief. "You found out my secret!" He gasped, glancing around furtively. "You promise me you won't tell anyone?" She nodded, sniffing back her tears and grinning. "This is one secret I think should remain so, don't you agree?"

"You bet, kitten-boy." Smirking wickedly, she impulsively threw her arm around him, hugging him tightly, so he couldn't see the hot tears that were coursing silently down her face.

"Kitten-boy?" He murmured, gently holding her close, stroking her wild, curly mane. "This is all I'm gonna hear from you now, ain't it?" Shaking his head with a soft groan of annoyance. "I hate blackmail! I hate it!"

"Now you tell me." He could hear a trace of laughter in her strained voice. "I'll have to remember that."

"Damn!" Giving her a fond squeeze, he sat up. "Now, shall we see about getting that hand of yours cleaned up? We can't have our Etcetera missing a rehearsal cos of a sore mitt."

"Hey!" Standing up, Ariadne swatted at him with her foot. "You just want to ruin my plot for an extra day off!"

"You bet I do, sweetie." Winking mischievously, he added. "I also want to see how you look in that stretchy lycra. If I'm, going to look dumb in it, I want to see everyone else do it at the same time." 

"Swine." She muttered, looping her arm through his. "If that's the case, we'd better head to the theatre. My doc's showing up there." She stuck her tongue out in an expression of distaste. "He gets everywhere."

"Haven't you heard of the 'An apple a day keep's 'em away' theory?" McFadgen asked mildly, opening the door.

Grinning as she tugged the door shut, she replied. "Sure I have."

"And?" 

Fighting back a wide smile, she locked the door, turned to him and – as seriously as she could – replied. "My aim isn't that good."


	2. The Newcomers: Book 1 - Part 2

"Well, well

"Well, well." Leaning on the tyre, Tony swung his curved sword casually in a graceful series of slashes and parries. "Look who finally decided to join us. What time do you call this, Grow…er…As…er...what the hell do you call yourself?"

Looking down at his partially-finished Growltiger costume, Andrew McFadgen shrugged helplessly. "The belly of my costume got torn in delivery. I've been told to just go on like this for the rehearsal. It should be ready tomorrow." Patting his padded legs, he forced a smile. "I think it's sexy. Ain't it? I'm SO sexy!"

"Why, darling," Sara flounced onto the stage in full Griddlebone regalia, tufts of white fluff floating in all directions. "What do you think you're doing? Appearing half-dressed? It's positively…indecent!"

"Shut it, fuzzy." Huffily turning his back on her and the other cast members, McFadgen tugged his long, ragged tail up between his swollen legs and shuffled his feet awkwardly. "S'not fair. Wasn't my fault."

"Sure it wasn't!" Sliding over the boot of the car, Ariadne rolled to a halt at the centre of the stage, giggling. Instead of the Etcetera costume she had been wearing for much of the rehearsal, she was clad in her Siamese robes. "I don't get why they want us taking a break between each song. Why don't we do a full run-through?"

"Costume changes for the slow people. This lets everyone get a feel for their costumes." Wandering onto the stage, Toni was barely recognisable in her henchcat costume. "Like it?" She did a little twirl.

"Aren't you a Siamese?" Queried Sara, running her long fluffy tail between her fingers, as she looked Toni's spiky wig and sleek costume over. 

Shrugging, Toni replied. "I should be, but my costume hasn't arrived yet, so I decided to be different." She ran her hands down the scarlet lightening-streak on the front of her costume and grinned. "This seemed different enough."

"I can't walk! This thing weighs a bloody ton!" Came a wail from off-stage. Stumbling, his tail clutched between his 'paws', Nick shambled onto the stage in his pirate costume. "Grumbuskin at yer service, milady." He bowed shakily to Griddlebone. "And can I say yer lookin' remarkably foxy tonight."

"A-ha! Tony squealed, raising his voice at least an octave above his normal speaking voice. "You tly to steal Gliddlebone flom me!"

"Oh brother," Toni mumbled, burying her black-covered head in her hands. "Can't you lot ever stay out of character for more than two minutes?"

"Chalacta? What is chalacta?" Tony turned towards her, blinking innocently from behind the Genghis mask. "I no in chalacta, black cat."

"Shut it." Growled McFadgen, still sulking in the corner of the stage. "Yer bein' stupid, like all yer kind, Siamese."

"Aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie!" With an ear-splitting screech, Tony pirouetted swiftly across the stage, spinning to his knees and thrusting his sword between Andrew's legs before the Scot's actor had a clue what was going on. "You no even laise weapon!" Triumphant, Genghis rose to his feet, bowed to Growltiger's back and skipped back across the stage.

"My, my, Growly, baby." Sauntering over, draping her tail around McFadgen's shoulders, little Griddlebone shook her head with a naughty smirk. "You really showed him, didn't you? Didn't even raise your weapon."

"Only you can raise my weapon, hinny." He purred in deep, silky voice. "Hop on board and I'll show ye that the tide isn't the only thing that rises around here."

"Guys, can we get the rest of the required cast members onstage, so we don't have to deal with these spotlight hunters?" The director laughed, something that happened so rarely it was almost considered a true miracle, as the rest of the cast members who waited on the stage dissolved into laughter again.

"We want to test the lights again, sir. We've added some more gels and it should look better this time." A voice drifted down from the lighting booth. "Can we do it now? Before this storm gets much worse?"

Nodding, the director reluctantly gave his assent. "You lot stay put." He ordered the little group, who were lazing on various parts of the set. "This should just take a minute."

*

On the stage, McFadgen feigned looking at a watch and sighed with exasperation. "Hopefully we'll get out of here soon." He muttered in a disgruntled voice. "Why do our co-stars have to be so slow?"

"It's to shatter your horniness factor." Sara dropped to her rump on the floor, impatiently tossing her long, fluffy, white tail back and forth over her lap. "All we want is to stop you being such a randy bugger." 

"All I want is for it to stop raining. Randiness I can deal with. Rain, nope." Ariadne perched on the bumper of the car, licking her hand and cleaning her fur lazily, as she stretched her legs out. "I don't want to be getting a cold or anything like that, for obvious reasons."

The others nodded in sympathy, all looking skyward – or ceiling-wards – as a crash of thunder shook the building. The storm had been raging since that morning, when they had left the hotel and had made it to the theatre just before the heavens opened.

"Wassup?" Creeping out of a pipe, a cheeky little face grinned up at them and Ariadne was hard-pressed to stifle a grin of pleasure.

"Hey, Dylan." 

The little dancer played Bill Bailey and was the smallest youth that any of the men had ever seen. Barely the same height as Ariadne, he was a solid mass of ditsy, blond-haired, blue-eyed energy and at just sixteen years old, he was one of the youngest actors to ever appear in CATS.

Somersaulting out of the pipe, he looked around at them. "Dang! I wish my costume was ready." He looked down at his Bill Bailey costume and tugged on Sara's tail with a whine. "Please, mommy, I wanna be a Siamese!"

Pinching his cheek, Sara patted him on the head. "And if you're a good kitten," She cooed, "Old Deuteronomy will let you."

Above them, the spotlights abruptly burst to life, blinding light flooding the stage and simultaneously, there was a rumbling, earth-shaking crack of thunder, lightening flashing across the skies above the theatre, then everything went dark.

As the stage lit up, the director stared in confusion. With no sound whatsoever, the seven members of cast had vanished without trace. "Oh hell…"

*

"Hell's bells!" Toni yelled hoarsely, blinking to clear the flashing dots that danced in front of her vision. "What are you tryin' to do to us? Blind us?" Raising her hand, to shield her eyes as the lights brightened again, she felt her mouth go dry. Her hand…

Lowering her hand – or what had once been a hand – she stared at it in confusion. Black fur? Touching the back of her paw, she shook her head in disbelief, raising her fingertips to touch her face, brushing against whiskers. "Oh my gosh." She whispered weakly, looking around her, taking in the rolling, grass-covered hills and trees. "What the hell happened?" 

"Exactly what I want to know." Turning, she came face to face with the face of the man she knew had been her twin, but was now a totally different breed: A sleek-furred Siamese. 

In unison, they both chorused in astonishment and horror, "You're a cat!"


	3. The Newcomers: Book 1 - Part 3

Trembling feverishly, the white queen shakily sat up, her thick fur no protection against the chill that permeated her to the bone

Trembling feverishly, the white queen shakily sat up, her thick fur no protection against the chill that permeated her to the bone. An unnatural chill that didn't fit in with the bright, spring-time surroundings.

"What happened?" She asked between her chattering teeth, weakly crawling towards the nearest figure: The man she had known as Andrew McFadgen, but was now a massive hulk of a brown and ginger-grey tomcat.

Clutching his throbbing temples, the big tom groaned softly, his hackles raised, his tail thrashing nervously back and forth. "It feels like the mother of all hangovers." He growled under his breath, his eyes half-closed.

Looking around, the Persian spotted the young Siamese queen, little Bill Bailey and Grumbuskin all curled, shivering, on their own, staring around fearfully at their new surroundings. The male Siamese and the black queen – however – were kneeling, facing one another, examining their new forms with curious eyes and paws.

Making her way across to the kitten-like pair, she could see hints of Ariadne and Dylan in their faces, but their sleek fur seemed insanely right on their slim bodies.

"Are you two okay?" she asked softly, touching them gently on the shoulders, noticing that they huddled closer together at her touch.

"Well," Dylan replied bitterly, his voce harsh and rasping. "I'm a cat, if that's okay in your book."

"Why us?" Ariadne whispered tearfully, staring at the beautiful face of the woman she had the urge to call Griddlebone. "I don't want to be here…my parents will be mad…I wanna go home. I want my mum and dad."

"Its all right." Sara gently drew the little queen to her, gently smoothing the creamy fur between her chocolate-brown ears. "We're going to be just fine, Little Dragon."

"Little Dragon?" Dylan and Ariadne both stared at her, an expression of baffled confusion crossing Ariadne's face. 

"Why did you call me that? How did you know it was my name?"

Sara frowned. "I don't know. It seemed right…"

The little queen examined her smooth brown paws curiously, shaking her head slowly. "I still don't believe it. I always wanted to be in CATS…I never wanted to _be_ a cat…well…I don't think I did…much…"

"I think we all feel the same." Griddlebone replied softly, absently licking the back of her paw and smoothing her fluffy fur down. "In a weird way, it feels right…like I was always meant to be like this…"

Bill Bailey nodded. "I feel the same. At first I was angry, but I feel kinda…natural in this place." 

"What about them?" Little Dragon pointed at the other cats crouched around them, fear and confusion the primary emotions. "They still look really scared." 

Beckoning the others, Griddlebone smiled reassuringly around at them. It seemed like she was the eldest character of them – a veritable mother figure – despite being the third smallest. "Now, since none of know what the hell happened back there and since it doesn't look like it's a dream or anything, I'm guessing we're stuck here."

The others nodded in agreement, staring around at the scenery in admiration. It was a wild place, but somehow, it felt right. More right than anything else. It felt like they had all finally returned home after a long journey.

"It also looks like we've become our characters." She continued steadily, her long tail flicking between her paws. "I'm Griddlebone, but some of you are not in your usual character. Can you tell me your names?"

"I'm Genghis apparently." The Siamese tom that had been Tony raised a brown paw.

Chewing on a stalk of grass, the little tom who was once been Dylan lazily murmured. "I'm Bill Bailey I suppose. Dunno why. I'm more of a Munkustrap." Flexing his muscles, he chuckled. "I'm jolly well gorgeous enough!"

"Leave that to the big toms." The former-Growltiger grumbled. "You kids always try and take our jobs. Little runts, all of ye."

Pulling himself to his full height, little Bill Bailey hopped from on paw to the other, punching the air. "C'mon," He yelped, dancing around the sitting giant. "Face me like a man! C'mon! I dare ya! I dare ya!"

Biting back laughter, the rest of the group watched in amusement as the six foot plus giant of a tom stood up and looked down at the five foot, little tom kitten, a quizzical expression on his face.

"Whatcha think you are? Some kinda superhero?" Bill Bailey kept dancing and weaving around the larger, grinning tom. "I can beat ya! I can! I can!"

Lazily stretching out an arm, he put his paw on the little tom's forehead, holding him easily at arm's length, Bill Bailey's arms and legs flailing frantically, trying to strike him.

"You would dare to challenge the mighty McDuff?" He enquired gruffly.

"McDuff?" Bill Bailey burst into frantic giggles, dropping back from the large tom. "What kind of name do you call that?"

"A good Scots name." McDuff growled, in mock-annoyance. "And I wouldn't want to hurt ya, kitten, in front of the lasses."

Sulkily, Bill Bailey raced over and skidded to a halt behind Griddlebone, peeking over her shoulder nervously at the giant of a tom.

"If anyone's interested…" The slim black queen with a blaze of red fur on her chest spoke up softly. "I'm Blaze."

"And I be Grumbuskin." Shivering, Grumbuskin rubbed his arms. "Why is it so cold? The sun's shining and I'm freezing!"

All of them nodded in agreement. "It was the travelling." Blaze said quietly, gazing down at her paws. "What else could it be? We came from that place…I mean home…and ended up here." She raised her slanted eyes to them, a look of understanding in her violet iris. "And there always is the change." She added firmly. "That could have affected us."

"So basically, it could be everything." Genghis shielded his eyes against the sun with one smooth brown paw. "The sooner we get used to this place, the sooner we'll feel better? Is that your thinking on the subject?"

"That's exactly it." Blaze nodded seriously, disentangling some crusts of dirt from her silky black fur.

Little Dragon shakily got to her paws and moved up the lip of the little valley they were in to look around.

"Come and see this!" She called back from the top of the ledge. "Its so beautiful! And so big! I can see the sea! And a river leading to it!"

Pointing with her paw as they joined her, she pointed to a gleaming expanse of water, many miles away, linked to them by the winding silvery snake of the river, twisting through the dark and mysterious land that was now theirs.

To what they believed was north lay the sea. To the East and West, massive rolling hills stained with the patterns of wide meadows and dark forests spread as far as the eye could see. And, behind them, to the south, wide plains darkened in the direction of rugged mountains.

"So," Looking around at the group, Genghis, raised an eyebrow. Which way do we go?"

Raising a paw, Bill Bailey, shyly asked. "Could I say something?" The other cats turned to him enquiringly. "Can we get something to eat?"

"Sounds good to me." Little Dragon grinned cheekily at Bill Bailey.

Griddlebone nodded at the kittens. "It would be good, but what can we possibly eat? We know nothing about this land. We don't know how to get food here. What we find may be poisonous or dangerous."

"So we starve to death while trying to figure it out." McDuff put in helpfully, putting an arm around the white queen.

Shrugging his arm off, Griddlebone got to her feet and started pacing impatiently, her face knit with worry. Already, she looked upon this group as her responsibility and she didn't want them to starve because of her.

Her eyes suddenly focused on something further down the hills, her nostrils twitching. Something small was moving about down there and if it moved, it was probably something edible. Most living things seemed to exist by that one rule. If it lives, eat it.

"We have returned to a wild state of life." She muttered, half to herself, licking her lips hungrily. "It looks like were going to have to do things the old-fashioned way."

"You mean," Little Dragon – An animal lover and vegan – stared at her in horror. "We'll have to hunt and kill innocent little animals for food?" 

Snapping out her deceptively delicate claws, Griddlebone gave a bloodthirsty grin. "That's exactly it, kitt. Eat or be eaten. That's our new lifestyle. Whether we like it or not." The feral light in her eyes convinced them she wasn't joking. "All in favour, say aye."

Fighting her every animal loving instinct, Little Dragon was the last of the group to enthusiastically unsheath her claws and yell. "Aye."

"My friends," Rubbing her paws together, she smiled coolly. "Let the games begin!"


	4. The Newcomers: Book 1 - Part 4

Stalking down the slope, their hunter instincts taking over, they approached the source of the sound cautiously, warmth slowly flooding their veins as they moved

Stalking down the slope, their hunter instincts taking over, they approached the source of the sound cautiously, warmth slowly flooding their veins as they moved. Spreading out, they blocked all routes of escape for the creature and moved in closer for a better look at what was soon to be their dinner.

In the middle of a large clearing, their prey stood – oblivious to their presence – rooting through the dirt for its nourishment most probably. Like a large pig, its six muscular legs and powerfully muscled body looked surprisingly threatening for such an odd-looking beast.

Gesturing for the two largest toms to move in at either end of the clearing, Griddlebone nodded as the pack crept towards the creature, their hunger and instinct overcoming the fear they were all experiencing to some extent.

Whirling around, the pig-like animal stared at its assailants emerging from the brush, a savage light gleaming in its eyes.

"Quick!" McDuff lead the charge, leaping onto the creature's back and sinking his claws and teeth into its neck, ignoring the horrific squeals of agony and rage.

Tackling the beast from one side, Grumbuskin jerked his claws into the muscular chest cavity, hot blood splattering all over them as the dying animal continued to struggle fiercely, squealing and kicking its powerful legs.

Holding two legs down fiercely, Griddlebone grimaced across at Genghis who gave her a reassuring wink. Bill Bailey and Little Dragon were both worrying the creature's neck, along with McDuff, trying to kill it, while Blaze wrestled with the third pair of legs.

It stank. Whatever it was, it stank to high heaven. Worse than anything any of them had ever had the misfortune to smell before. And their enhanced senses made the whole experience ten times worse: the stench, the screaming.

With a yell of dismay, Griddlebone felt a savage hoof connect with her head and collapsed backwards, blood bursting from a gash at her temple and staining her white fur. "What a way to go." She mumbled hazily, sinking into unconsciousness.

*

"Is she going to be all right?" Blaze looked up at Genghis, her expression enigmatic, her paw still resting on Griddlebone's wounded forehead. Bruised, with a large scab peeking through her fur, the white queen looked like she was in a bad way.

"She's going to be fine." The black cat gently stroked her white compatriot's fur, gazing up at her former twin reassuringly. "But she needs to be kept warm. Can a couple of you sleep with her and use your warmth?"

"I'll do it." Little Dragon crept across, nursing the bruises that the attack on their meal had left her with. Wrapping herself around Griddlebone, she smiled tiredly as Genghis curled up on the other side.

Although their first hunt had lasted barely minutes, it seemed like hours and it had taken its toll on their untrained bodies. Although all of them were stronger and fitter than most humans of their own ages, becoming a felinoid and hunter meant they were weaker than they needed to be to survive in this new environment.

Dragging the large and extremely smelly body to the cave that they now sheltered in, they had all practically collapsed to the ground, overcome with sudden exhaustion.

McDuff estimated that he had suffered a broken nose, while the others were cut and bruised from head to foot from the creature's kicks and Griddlebone was still unconscious, her fur matted and tangled.

Returning to the entrance of their shelter, Blaze gazed out at the night sky, the fire behind her warming her a little. Light clouds scooted across the dark of the night, tiny stars twinkling high above them.

Clearer than on earth, the air was pure, the night somehow brighter and more beautiful than she could ever remember it being before. Inhaling a deep breath of the sweet air, she gazed up at the lazy moon that hung overhead like a massive silvery-blue penny in the dark velvet of the sky.

"Whatcha thinking about, Blaze?" Sitting on a rock beside the entrance of the cave, Grumbuskin was watching her. Somehow he had escaped her attention.

Crossing her arms across her chest, she shrugged expressively. "Home, I suppose." She replied. "And here. Why are we here? Why us?"

Patting the space on the rock beside him, he smiled. "Because we're special?" His grey, black and white striped fur rippled in the light wind, thick and wild. "There's something else, isn't there, Blaze? You've been very quiet…you were never this quiet at home."

"I don't know." She admitted, sitting down beside him, leaning on her knees heavily. "We've barely been here half a day and…well, I'm having trouble remembering things…about home. It's like that was a dream and this was always reality. We just needed to wake up."

"Maybe it was like that." He murmured, slipping an arm around her shoulder to protect her against the chill of the night. "Maybe we were all dreaming…who's to say?"

"C'mon." Standing up, she squeezed his large grey paw. "We should get some sleep. It's been a long half day."

"Yes ma'am." Smiling gently, he followed her into the cave. It wasn't much – merely a deep crack in a rock face – but it was shelter until they found somewhere better. 

The fire that McDuff had managed to build at the entrance still flickered warmly, casting a familiar glow on the bare walls of the cavern. Pieces of the carcass of their first kill hung above the fire on a makeshift skewer, the flesh being effectively smoked for later use.

Bill Bailey and McDuff were curled up together, already fast asleep in the darkest corner of the cave, while Little Dragon and Genghis were still snuggled around the sleeping form of Griddlebone.

"Would you care to join me?" Gesturing to a vacant spot on a smooth part of the floor, Grumbuskin raised an eyebrow at her, squatting down and pretending to pull back a blanket for her. "I don't bite…much." 

"Strange as it may seem," She sank down beside him, nestling against his warm body. "I actually believe you!"

"Silly woman." He smiled fondly, his legs twisting around hers, her soft breathing puffing the fur on his chest as she fell asleep. "Such a pretty silly woman."

*

"Someone pass me the paracetamol." Griddlebone groaned, blinking her heavy eyes open, rubbing her face with one paw, pushing tangled white locks of fur off her face.

"You're awake!" Genghis' face gazed down at her, his blue eyes gleaming with relief and delight. "We thought that thing was going to kill you!"

"Thing?"

"Yeah," Yawned Little Dragon from her other side, her head pillowed on the white queen's side. "It kicked you so hard we thought you were dead…but you're okay and we have a lot of meat left now."

Sitting up, Griddlebone shifted Little Dragon's head down to rest on her thigh. She felt Genghis slip a supportive arm around her waist and smiled weakly at the cream coloured tom, nuzzling his chest as she curled against him, still astoundingly tired.

Kneeling up behind her, he carefully started to groom her blood-matted fur with a gentle tongue, loosening the tangles with his paws and claws. Sighing contentedly, she closed her eyes and sank back against him, her own paw gently stroking Little Dragon's smooth fur.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Blaze tilted her head sleepily up to look at the white queen anxiously, her body still firmly entangled with Grumbuskin's sleeping form. "Does your head still hurt?"

"A little." Griddlebone acknowledged, as Genghis rough tongue ran up her cheek warmly. "What happened to me? I remember being kicked…how did you kill it?"

"This little tyke found the bugger's jugular." McDuff looked over from the re-stoked fire, where he sat with Bill Bailey. "The ugly critter died within seconds." Hooking a piece of the charred meat off the fire with his claw, he tossed it lightly to Griddlebone. "We've all eaten. You need to eat some."

Gnawing eagerly on the chunk of flesh, she felt her stomach crying out with relief. "Who butchered it?" She asked around mouthfuls.

"I did." McDuff answered modestly. "My dad…I think it was my dad…he taught me how to hunt and how to butcher what we caught. I skinned it first…we might be able to use the hide for something." He nodded out of the opening of the cave, where the skin was stretched out on the branches of a nearby tree.

"What are we gonna do today?" Bill Bailey asked eagerly, his brown eyes twinkling naughtily. "Can I go explore?"

"We should explore." Grumbuskin muttered, his voice muffled by the fact his face was still buried in Blaze's fur. "I'm sure we're not the only ones of our kind that live in this place. We're not the first to leave our world through CATS."

"What do you mean?" Genghis looked up suspiciously. "You knew this would happen to us?"

Raising his head, Grumbuskin shook his head slowly. "I said no such thing…but don't you remember? Not even slightly? This has happened several times before…every time without warning…"

"The American tours…" A look of comprehension flooded Griddlebone's face. "So they came here. I always wondered…but I can hardly remember it…our world…Grumbuskin …why can't I remember? Why can't any of us?"

"This is our world now." The tabby replied softly, resting his head on Blaze's shoulder. "We can't go back, so we will forget it. Everything about it."

"Everything?" Little Dragon sat up, tears in her eyes. "But my family…I can't forget them…"

"Be honest, Dragon." McDuff whispered chokingly. "Can you even remember what their faces look like? Can you even remember what you look like?" She lowered her head sadly. "We can all remember the thing that brought us here though." He added sharply. "We have to remember what made us what we are."

"The music." Blaze nodded. "The songs. The dancing."

"We will remember." Griddlebone nodded firmly, her face determined. "If its only the songs, we have to remember. No matter what happens to us."

Exchanging glances, they all nodded. "Agreed."

"Now," Bill Bailey leapt to his feet eagerly. "Are we gonna go try and find the others? Or are we just gonna sit around being pathetic all day?"

"I'd say we get out and do something." Little Dragon grinned at her friend. Her wide Siamese-blue eyes were devoid of tears now. They had accepted their fate…now to see what would become of them.


	5. The Newcomers: Book 1 - Part 5

One arm draped around Genghis' broad shoulder, Griddlebone toiled up the steep rock face, her hind paws aching and her temples still throbbing agonisingly

One arm draped around Genghis' broad shoulder, Griddlebone toiled up the steep rock face, her hind paws aching and her temples still throbbing agonisingly. Moistening her cracked lips, she gritted her teeth and pressed onwards. 

Even reaching the peak of the small hill seemed a challenge, her breath ragged in her throat as she finally stumbled onto the plateau to find Bill Bailey and Little Dragon happily playing tag with each other, laughing and leaping about.

It's all downhill from here." Blaze murmured reassuringly, sitting on the grass-covered ground, her long legs stretched out lazily in front of her, her face raised to the bright sun. "Just rest for a little while."

Gratefully, Griddlebone sank down on her haunches, her long tail lying limply on the ground around her. Completely exhausted, she curled up with a moan of sleepiness and buried head in her thick fur. 

Sitting down beside her, Genghis drew her head into his lap and stroked her sleeping face gently, his concern for her condition apparent. Still weak from the blow to her head, she was forcing herself to go on, for them. Despite all her determination to reach the river with them, she was getting weaker by the hour and they had been walking almost since she had awoken.   
McDuff sat on a small outcropping with Grumbuskin, gazing down the valley they were venturing into. The river seemed to be several miles away and they knew they had to reach it, if they wanted to increase their chances of survival. 

"Do you think she'll make it?" McDuff nodded back at the white queen anxiously, his paws gripping onto his sacks, the mid-afternoon sun hot on his face. 

"I think so." Grumbuskin nodded. "She's stronger than you know, McDuff. She'll do it and she'll outlast all of us, you can guarantee it."

Nodding, McDuff smiled. "I bet she will." He acknowledged, tersely tightening the knot in the mouth of the sack.

He had to admit he was impressed with Griddlebone's idea to make the bags out of the swine's hide. Cutting strips of thong out of the dried-out hide she had made simple sacks, using the thong to close the sides up.

Now they had no need to return the cave at all, unless they found no other shelter - especially if they travelled as far as they planned to over the next few days. They had all they needed with them, including a good supply of smoked meat in their sacks.

"Can we go yet?" Little Bill Bailey demanded, bouncing up and down. None of the adults could understand how the kittens could retain so much energy all the time. "I want to get down the hill! Let's go to the river."

Opening one eye, Griddlebone moaned sleepily and struggled into a sitting position. "Let's get going then." She mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "If I fall asleep again, I might just stay that way and wait for you to carry me down."

"You wish!" Laughing, Genghis hid his concern, helping her to her feet, looping her arm over his shoulder again. "Dragging you by your tail is a much better option."   
"Touch the tail," She wagged a threatening claw at him. "And you die. Die as in dead, morte, kaputt and killed and I ain't jokin'!" 

"That's what I adore about you." He kissed her lightly on the nose. "Your talent at being so absolutely subtle!" 

"Cheeky git." She chuckled, as they followed the little group down the smooth slope. "You wouldn't know subtle if it walked up to you and hit you with a rock."

"Is that so?" He grinned, grateful she was still able to summon up some humour. "I'll prove I'm right when we get to the river."

"Whatever you say." Grimacing briefly, she grinned gamely at him. "Whatever you say." 

*

"Genghis..." Her voice was barely more than a weak breath. "Can we stop for a minute... so tired. I...I need to rest...just leave me... I'll...catch up."

"Oh no you don't." Determinedly stooping down, he scooped her up in his arms, holding her close to him and continuing after the other. "I'm not leaving you on your own. I have a bet with you. No backing out now for you."

"No fair." She mumbled, closing her eyes, her body going limp against him, her breathing soft and light. 

Dropping back, Blaze looked carefully down at the white queen. "I thought she might be concussed." She muttered, "But it looks like she needs water. She's tired out and dehydrated. The head injury didn't help." 

"She will be all right though?" 

"Of course." Patting her twin reassuringly on the back, she smiled. "If you need a hand, I'm sure McDuff or Grumbuskin will help." 

Nodding in acknowledgement, he held her more protectively to his chest. "I can take care of her." He growled gruffly. "She's my responsibility now, all right?"

Laughing softly to herself, she shook her head and walked ahead to keep an eye on the two kittens while the toms scouted the area ahead of them.

She didn't know why she was the one who was psychic in the group. She didn't even know if the others knew or not, but it made making decisions a lot easier. And understanding the others was a lot easier too.

Despite the short time together, she could see the adoration her brother felt for Griddlebone. It was hardly surprising. The white queen was a beautiful and delicate-looking creature, glamorous and graceful, yet incredibly strong. 

The twin connection they once had seemed weaker than when they were human, but she had found a similar kind of connection with Grumbuskin. The tom – unlike his character in the show – was a gentle, thoughtful and surprisingly deep individual, always making certain that everyone was comfortable and cared for. 

Looking ahead at the two older toms, she allowed herself a smile. They were both very handsome cats, although McDuff was a rather large and rough-looking tom. He reminded her of…her father? She remembered a father, but was it hers? 

Sighing at the loss of memories, she rubbed her forehead slowly. Perhaps it was better that they forget. That they start new lives. Perhaps living with the memories of the old lives would only drag them down. 

"We made it!" A yell from ahead snapped her out of her reverie and she looked up, raising her paw to shield her eyes from the sun, to see Grumbuskin beckoning frantically. "We did it! The river is up ahead! Barely half a mile! Come on!" 

Turning back, she was in time to see Genghis hurtle passed at full speed, Griddlebone's tail streaming behind him like the tail of a comet. 

"We're gonna make it." She whispered to herself, racing after the rest of the group. "We're really gonna make it!" 

*

Dabbling her feet in the water, Griddlebone smiled shyly at Genghis. She had heard about how he had carried her almost 3 miles on his own and knowing that he cared enough to do that sent tingles of startling pleasure through her. 

Even knowing he was sitting watching her made her flush. She had never known such a reaction to a member of the opposite sex, especially not to a cat man. Even as a human, though, she was fascinated by the tall, dark and handsome co-actor.

Maybe, she thought, being a cat allows you more freedom with expressing your emotions. Cats were a very sensual species - something that rehearsals for the tour had shown her - so maybe that's why she was less embarrassed about physical contact and the like.

But then again, her character was very coy... or so she had seemed from what she could remember. Glancing up at Genghis she felt her pulse accelerate. It couldn't be that. She liked the tom. More than that, she wanted him. 

He was nothing like her, his short fur sleek and creamy, his paws, ears, muzzle and tail all a dark, chocolate-brown. Maybe that was the appeal, she mused. He was so masculine, so strong. Everything a queen could want.

But he couldn't want her. He simply saw her as a friend in need. Nothing more, no doubt. Drawing her feet out of the water, she sighed. She could never be that fortunate. She would simply let him be and enjoy watching over him. 

"Griddle!" Looking across the stepping stones, she saw Little Dragon and Bill Bailey waving. "Come and see what we found! It's amazing!"

Getting to her feet, she found Genghis' paw extended to help her across the rocks, but she shook her head, leaping lightly across the rocks, away from him, never noticing the look of pain in his blue eyes.

"What did you find?" Putting her arms around the kittens, she held them back, slowed down enough to lead her to their discovery.

Leading her through the thick bushes, they entered a wide clearing and – pointing to the centre of the opening - proudly announced in unison. "That!"

A paw to her mouth, speechless, Griddlebone moved forward in amazement, staring at the towering building. 

The huge tower looked like it had been glorious once, but now…now it was a crumbling ruin. Charring on the walls suggested why it was such a ruin, but the scoring looked years old, the scent of burning barely perceptible after so much time for the fresh air to clear it.   
Scrabbling through the ruins and parts of the collapsed tower, Grumbuskin inhaled a sharp breath through his teeth, sweeping some of the ash away with his paw and gazing down at the remains of the previous occupants' belongings sadly.

A small dagger on a leather belt seemed relatively undamaged, so he reverently lifted it up, tying it around his waist. "Waste not." He murmured to himself, fingering the delicately carved hilt, as he brushed through more of the rubble.

His eyes settled on something unusual protruding from the shattered stone, the scent reaching him before he even saw it, and he carefully picked it up, brushing the damp dirt off it gently. "Oh hell." He whispered, touching it in disbelief. "Oh hell." 


	6. The Newcomers: Book 1 - Part 6

Carefully testing the burned stairway with her weight, Little Dragon eased herself up the first few stairs tentatively, relieved to discover that the roots of the steps were crafted of stone and had survived the torching of the tower

Carefully testing the burned stairway with her weight, Little Dragon eased herself up the first few stairs tentatively, relieved to discover that the roots of the steps were crafted of stone and had survived the torching of the tower.

Gaining confidence, she lightly ran up the flight, testing each step as she went, reaching the top in a matter of minutes. The main flight had been broken away and showered with falling fragments of the crumbling roof, but the toms had managed to clear much of it away. Enough for her to squeeze passed and climb to the top room of the tower.

Gazing around at the room, she shook her head at the sight of so much devastation. The setting sun peeped through the charred rafters of the roof, submerging the entire room into an eerie, golden glow.

Large spaces of floor were missing, simply fallen away during the fire, she assumed. The debris and rubble down below bore silent witness to this.

Peering through one of the holes, she stared down at Grumbuskin, who still knelt silently by the pile of rubble he had been sifting through for several days now, attempting to clear the wreckage as best he could. On a small pile of gravel lay the remains of a small wooden doll he had found on their first day in the ruins, crafted into the shape of a creature like them…whatever they were.

Frowning, she drew back from the hole, carefully padding across the floor, touching the walls here and there, hoping for even a sign of who the previous and most unfortunate inhabitants were and where they had gone.

Kneeling down on one of the widest patches of floor, she closed her eyes, inhaling a slow, deep breath, a warm whisper of wind washing over her. 

"Ayadh Al Charum." A voice rang clearly in her head, repeating the three words over and over insistently. "Ayadh Al Charum."

"What is Ayadh Al Charum?" She whispered, testing the sounds out loud, the rolling letters spoken with some unknown pride and worship.

No response came, as she gazed past the shattered roof and to the open skies. Her lips moved in the silent invocation of the name of Ayadh Al Charum, whatever it happened to be.

A swirl of wind swept through the tower and she shivered involuntarily, rubbing her slender arms with her paws, the hairs on the back of her neck rising as she saw a fleeting shadow move across the bare wall.

Stumbling backwards, she shook her head in disbelief as the shadow pulled away from the wall, moving – unhindered – towards her. Towering above her, she could make out two glowing red orbs, a spasm of fear running through her.

"Griddlebone!" Turning, she fled down the flight of stairs, never looking back, her eyes wide with terror.

*

"Hush, hush." Cradling the sobbing kitten to her chest, Griddlebone soothingly stroked her creamy fur, rocking her gently. "It's gone, dear heart. Whatever it was, it's gone. It won't hurt you, I promise."

"What do you think it was?" Blaze sat on the kitten's other side, stroking her back, worried. "What did it look like? I have to know."

"I…I don't know…" Wiping her eyes on the heel of her paw, Little Dragon swallowed another sob. "It was big and black and had bright red eyes…it…something said something to me… 'Ayadh Al Charum'…I was so scared." 

Squeezing the little Siamese's paw reassuringly, Blaze nodded. "I know, Kitt. I know it was scary, but I need you to come with me to try and find it…"

"What the hell do you think you're playing at, Blaze?" Griddlebone exploded, as the kitten turned terrified eyes to her foster mother, burying her face in the comforting white fur. "Can't you see she's scared enough? I don't think taking her back for more is a good idea."

"You don't seem to…understand, Griddlebone." The black queen lowered her voice. "She is the chosen one. She can tell us why we are here. He will talk to her and no other. She has to go to him."

"Who is this 'he'?" Griddlebone demanded suspiciously, her arms tightening protectively around the shivering kitten. "Why would he want her? Why not you? Or me? Or one of the others? And how do you know its her he wants?"

Shrugging gracefully, she sighed. "I don't understand it myself, but he appeared to her. Spoke to her. It is she that he wants to be his mouthpiece. He has shown himself to me in dreams, but all I know is that she is the one to communicate with him."

"Don't make me go back there, mama." The pleading appeal was enough to determine what the white queen was going to do.

"I would be grateful," She said pointedly to Blaze, "If you would leave me and my kitten alone for the time being. She is upset and you are not helping."

Sighing, the red and black queen pushed herself to her paws and slowly paced away, into the lower floor of the tower, where the toms were painstakingly working on making it remotely habitable once again. 

"How did it go?" Raising deep golden-brown eyes to her, Grumbuskin could sense her unease and anguish.

"I…not good." Taking her by the paw, the tom led her out of the back of the tower into the evening air. "She wouldn't listen to me…She doesn't understand how…how important that kitten is…and now…now, she hates me for what I had to say…"

Taking her gently in his arms, Grumbuskin tenderly held her, her sobs shuddering through both their bodies. "I know its difficult, Blaze," He murmured, nuzzling her face softly. "but I believe in you and what you had to do."

"What do I do now?" She whispered, her face buried in the rough grey fur of his chest, her slender paws splayed on his back.

"You wait." He murmured, nuzzling her cheek. "If this being truly wants only her, he will find her somehow…and when that happens, all will become clear."

Tilting her chin up with his paw, he smiled down at her, his eyes showing her that every word he said was the truth. 

"Now." Lowering his face to hers, he whispered, "Close your eyes."

Obediently, tilting her face up, she let her violet eyes sink closed, as one arm pulled her closer to his body, his other paw still gently cupping her chin. Shivering at the intimate contact, she felt his lips brush her cheek and released a weak mewl of protest. 

"Hush now." He purred softly, one claw tracing the curve of her jaw teasingly, as his rough tongue brushed her soft cheeks individually.

The tip of his sensitive nose rubbed lightly against hers, sending a jolt of electricity coursing down her spine, followed by his claws tracing up the same path. Swaying against him, she briefly wondered what it would feel like to make love to a tomcat as his lips touched hers in the barest hint of a kiss.

"All clean." He murmured, releasing her from his arms and stepping back, a soft smile on his gentle lips. "Couldn't have you running around all tear-stained, now, could we?"

Before she could even regain enough breath to reply, he walked quietly back into the tower, leaving her staring mutely after him, fingering her lips in confusion.

"What the hell just happened?" She asked herself, sitting weakly down, her heart rate still racing as she fought to regain control of her senses. Had he been trying to seduce her? Was he simply being nice? What was it? Was this normal behaviour for a tomcat?

Shaking her head, she lay back on the grassy verge and stared at the stars that were starting to peep out of the night. She needed to have a good, queen-to-queen talk about these toms with Griddlebone and the sooner the better, she realised.

*

"Do you have a minute?" Looking sceptically up at the sleek, black queen, the Persian shrugged and gestured for her to sit. Little Dragon was still curled up beside her, but was asleep now, her head nestled in the fluffy white lap.

"What's up?"

Sighing, Blaze replied. "My libido."

"O-ho!" Griddlebone gave her a cheeky wink. "All these gorgeous big toms around here getting to you then?"

"I need to know something." She said unhappily. "Are all toms very…sensual? I mean, I've never had a cat before…"

"None of us have ever had a cat before…or at least I hope not!" The wicked gleam in her eyes suggested that Griddlebone wasn't one to hold a grudge and Blaze reluctantly had to laugh.

"You know what I mean."

"Of course, of course." The white queen nodded. "Toms play flirty a lot, but they only get intimately close to queens they want to mate with…at least that's been my experience…and since they still have human instincts as well as feline, I'm assuming our toms are the same way."

"So…what exactly is intimately close?" Unwilling to reveal too much, the queen lowered her violet eyes to stare at the ground.

"Normal feline contact seems to be group pile ups, grooming each other – in moderation – and all that kind of thing…intimate would be a lot to do with facial contact over bodily…" Shrugging she murmured. "Licking and nuzzling each others face a lot is a good sign. Why do you ask?"

Biting back a grin, Blaze shrugged. "No reason, Grid. No reason at all."

"Are we going to hear the patter of tiny paws soon?" The white queen asked shrewdly, noticing the black queen abashedly twisting her slim paws together.

"Don't be silly." Forcing a laugh, Blaze tried to smile confidently, but she herself had wondered the same thing…and would they be kittens or humans? She didn't know if she was ready for that. "What makes you think such a thing?"

"Oh just the way you and a certain tom happen to look at one another." Nodding beyond Blaze's shoulder, she smiled as the black queen turned and came eye to eye with Grumbuskin who was staring out from the ruins.

"I don't know what you mean." Flustered, she glared at the white queen, who chuckled. 

"Of course you don't." She smiled. "Of course you don't."

*

"What's with you and her?" Waving a paw in front of Grumbuskin's face, Bill Bailey grinned mischievously as the older tom blinked back to reality.

"Nothing!"

The three others toms exchanged glances. "Suuuuuuuuuuuure!" They chorussed, breaking into laughter.

"We believe ya." McDuff patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. "Thousands wouldn't."

"Oh look!" Genghis clapped a paw over his heart. "They're comin' in! Quick! Lets leave Grumbuskin and Blaze alone."

Unaware that the toms had been having a similar conversation to them, the three queens settled in a huddle in the centre of the floor, yawning and stretching. "Are we going to get some sleep tonight, boys?" Blaze asked sleepily.

"Who's to know?" Genghis winked wickedly at Grumbuskin, who muttered under his breath and settled into the kitty-pile as far from Blaze as he could, even though she was by far the closest to him in his mind.


	7. The Newcomers: Book 1 - Part 7

Walking across the silent hill, Blaze rubbed her arms with her slender hands wearily

Strapping the bundles of wiry grass together with thin leather thong, Genghis raised his paw to shield his eyes as he gazed up the roof, where Grumbuskin waited.

"Here!" He tossed the bundle through one of the wider gaps in the broken ceiling, grinning as Grumbuskin gave a yell of surprise, the bundle smacking him square in the belly. Carefully placing it on one of the beams, the silvery tom tightened the cord around the spar, straightening it alongside the other bundle to add to the thatching on the roof.

"How's it looking?" He called back down to Genghis and Bill Bailey as they patiently tied more bundles, sitting on the partially-restored floor of the tower.

Leaning back, his paw-like hands on his hips, Bill Bailey nodded in admiration. "Looking good, Grum." Raising a thumb, he grinned cheekily. "We just have to see if it can withstand the rain if it comes."

"He's right." McDuff remarked, approaching from the stairs. "It may look like it's strong, but it's not waterproof. We have to find some kind of waterproof material to coat it…tar or something like that."

"Wait a minute," Bill Bailey waved his hands, halting all work. "What do you mean 'He's right'? I'm never right!"

"Things change, shorty." Grumbuskin chuckled at the little tom's incredulous expression.

Shrugging, the smallest of the toms hefted a massive heap of knotted-together reeds onto his shoulder, walking over and easily tossing it up to the waiting Grumbuskin.

Two weeks of being a feline had changed all of them a great deal. Their new bodies were physically hardier, stronger. While they had been well toned as dancers, their muscles were developing even more as felines. 

Any fat that they had on their bodies was burned up easily by the savage and rough lifestyle they were forced to become accustomed to. Hunting was still a challenge, but they grew stronger by the day and seemed to be fitter and more resilient than they had been as humans.

Little Dragon especially had felt the change. Quite often, as Ariadne, she had gotten tired and weak from the slightest suggestion of a cold, but here, nothing seemed to affect her, her immune system working at least one hundred percent better than it ever had as an ill human girl. She had – at first – worried about not having her prescriptions, lest she get ill, but gradually, as she had forgotten much of her old life, she forgot all about ever having been ill. 

Wrapping his legs around a new girder of wood, Grumbuskin leaned back, to force the new bundle along to the larger break in the roof. 

"You be careful!" Griddlebone yelled from the ground far below. "We don't have anything to fix you with!"

"I'd rather not be fixed!" He yelled back, sticking his tongue out naughtily at the pretty white queen, who huffed impatiently and stalked away to join the other two queens in butchering the latest carcass from one of their hunts.

With so few of them in the group, the meat from a single pig-creature kept the stocked up with food for several days at the very least. At the moment, several hides were stretched out on spikes of wood on the outer walls of the building that was their present home, the skin drying out to produce a good source of useful and pliable leather.

"Want to see a trick my father taught me?" Little Dragon was pulling the steaming mass of vital organs out of the beast's chest cavity, the long rope of the intestines looped around her thin arms. "It might give us something different to eat if it works…"

"Why not?" Blaze and Griddlebone smiled indulgently, as the little queen leapt down to the bank of the river, taking a long coil of intestine with her.

Trailing it in the water, all the mucus and digestive liquids streamed out, running through the tissues and removing all the unused and left over slime.

Knotting the end of the practically transparent sheath, the slim Siamese leapt back up, carefully laying the sheath of skin on a rock as she turned her attention to the other organs. Shredding the heart up quickly with her claws, she mixed it with tiny pieces of the more tasty flesh. Carefully and gently pushing the meaty paste into the filmy coil of the intestines, she skilfully twisted the length into smaller sections, until there were about two dozen fat, round-ended rectangles joined end to end.

"Well?" Holding up the home-made string of sausages, the queen grinned at her two companions. "How do you like this?"

"I'm impressed!" Griddlebone laughed. "I never thought we would have normal foods again. All we need now is chips!"

"That's pushing it a bit!" Blaze playfully punched Griddlebone on the arm. "We can't have high cholesterol again, can we? It would go straight to yer thighs!"

"Cheeky madam!" Howled the white queen in mock-outrage, throwing a soggy kidney at her sleek, black companion.

"Hey!"

"Blaze! Griddlebone!" Waving her paws desperately, Little Dragon fought to stifle a giggle as various organs flew back and forth. "Please! Don't play with your food!" 

"What's goin…" There was a firm, wet splat as a wedge of muscle slapped across McDuff's face, sliding down his muzzle and dropping into his paws.

"Er…oops?" Griddlebone giggled madly as the massive tom charged at her, growling deep in his throat. 

Wrestling her to the ground, he held her down, pinning her arms above her head, his eyes holding hers. "Oops?" He snarled wickedly. "Is that all you can say? Oops?"

Smirking, the white queen playfully batted her eyelashes at him, one paw pressed innocently to her lips. "I…I think that about covers it." She whispered, stroking his cheek teasingly. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Anything you say." He murmured back, neither of them noticing the two other queens exchanging furtive glances before subtly sneaking away from them. Inhaling her scent, he sniffed at her furry cheek gently.

"McDuff…" Lower than a whisper, she tried to say no, that she wanted Genghis, but the words wouldn't form as his lips tenderly covered hers in the briefest of kisses. Why was this wrong, she wondered. Genghis was her friend, but she needed a lover.

"I'm sorry." Pulling away, he shook his head. "I shouldn't have, Griddlebone." Taking her blood- and gore-stained paws, he gently started licking the mess off them, his eyes lowered, unable to meet hers.

"I know why you did." She whispered breathlessly, throwing her arms around him, her face buried in his fur, she held him tightly. "We both need someone, McDuff…we both lost our loved ones in the change…we need one another."

"It's not love." He whispered into her thick fur. "It's not love." A face rose before him. The image of the woman he had vowed to spend his life with…only now, she seemed to be more feline and white and Persian and…Griddlebone.

Feeling his arms around her, she nodded. "I know." She murmured thickly. Rising, she took his paws and softly asked. "Will you come to the river to help me bathe?"

"Of course." Scooping her up in his arms, he smiled kindly down at her, carrying her towards the river, to a small cove out of site of the tower.

As they rounded the corner, Griddlebone glanced back, catching site of Genghis watching from the tower. Lowering her face, she buried herself further into McDuff's embrace. She didn't care anymore. If he didn't intend to take her as his mate, why shouldn't she have someone else?

*

Lowering his eyes sadly, Genghis shook his head. It was inevitable. Still, he had plenty to keep himself busy and he didn't plan to ignore Griddlebone, in the way that Blaze and Grumbuskin had been ignoring each other. As long as she was happy.

"Hey, daydreamer, care to chuck me some more roof?" Pulling a small chunk of wood off the spar, Grumbuskin aimed it at Genghis' head, grinning as the Siamese tom grunted in annoyance. "Would you mind getting your head out of the clouds and back down here, where it belongs?"

Rubbing his head dramatically, Genghis sniffed in indignation. "You coulda killed me!" He picked up the chunk of wood and tossed it out of the window. "Really, Grum," He rounded on the silver tom with a fiendish smirk as a yowl echoed up from below. "You should be careful where you throw your things!"

"Who through the stick at me?" Blaze stormed up the stairs and balled her paws on her fists in aggravation. "You messed with the mane!"

"That would be him." Bill Bailey pointed at Grumbuskin, who shrugged in dissent, turning his attention back to the roof. The little tom frowned in bafflement, as the queen sighed, shook her head and trotted back down the stairs.

"What was that about?" He whispered to Genghis.

Beckoning the little tom over, Genghis murmured. "I think we have a feisty couple here, but neither is willing to admit that they like the other."

Chuckling, Bill Bailey shook his head. "You'll never see me going nuts like that over a queen." He giggled. "I'm not soppy."

"Not even about Little Dragon?" The Siamese tom raised a sceptical eyebrow, his voice a little louder now, allowing Grumbuskin the opportunity to join in with the conversation.

"Nope." The young tom said firmly, even defiantly. "I'm never gonna have a queen and I'm never gonna have kittens or anything."

"I'll make a bet with ya." Grumbuskin leaned in through the gap in the ceiling. "If you have kittens within the next two years, you have to call it Skywalker."

Rolling his eyes, Bill Bailey remarked sarcastically. "Hail the conquering Star Wars freak. All right…" Stretching up on his toes, he shook Grumbuskin's outstretched paw. "If I have a mate and we have a kitten within two years, its gonna be called Skywalker, all right?"

"Prepare an explanation for your mate, shorty." The silver tom smirked smugly, a smug grin that made Bill Bailey feel suspicious. What did Grumbuskin know that he – Bill Bailey – didn't? 

"There better not be any funny business." He threatened, wagging his finger at the tom. "If there is, all bets are off, got it?"

"Certainly sure." Grumbuskin winked at Genghis. "Heaven help yer mate and kitten with a name like that!"

Rolling his eyes, the little tomcat ran off down the stairs to join the two queens in preparing the meal for the night.

*

Watching the stars, Griddlebone felt McDuff's gentle paws massaging her taut shoulders. His tail twined around hers as she touched one of his paws gently.

"We should go back." She whispered softly, the refreshingly cool water lapping around their bodies, as he nuzzled her neck. Rubbing his chin on her soft shoulder, he reluctantly nodded, running his cheek up hers.

Turning around to face him, Griddlebone ran her forehead under his chin, licking his jaw teasingly. With a low groan, he drew her into his arms again, burying his face in his long fur, his arms tight around her waist.

"All this playing has made me hungry." He murmured, nibbling on her neck, enjoying hearing her giggle at his ticklish touch.

Pulling back, she smiled at him. "We should definitely go back then."

"Did I say it was that kind of hungry?" He purred, pulling her back into a crushing embrace, kissing her again. Returning the kiss, she purred, the purr throbbing between their joined lips and he broke off with a deep laugh. His face turned serious for a moment and he murmured. "What if you get pregnant, Griddlebone?"

Shrugging, she draped her arms sensuously over his broad shoulders, marvelling at how large the tom was, his muscles colossal in comparison to the other three toms. "I guess I'll have a kitten." She replied mildly, pulling herself up to lick his nose playfully.

"How would you take care of it?"

"The same way any mother would." She replied, her white fur rippling around her in the light current. "Don't worry about it, my lover. We have so much more to worry about. That, we would have time to plan for…now, we have each other to worry about…each other."

"Sounds good to me." he chuckled, gathering her in his arms again. He hadn't wanted this to mean anything – just a release, perhaps, but he knew it was deeper than that. No matter what he said, emotions always ran deeper than they seemed.

But, like she said, now was now. If they had to worry about tomorrow today, where would enjoyment and happiness fit into the equation? For him? For any of them?

*

"Where are McDuff and Griddle?" Grumbuskin asked vaguely as he trotted down the last few steps, his toe-claws clicking on the smooth stone.

Flipping a bursting, piping-hot sausage off the fire into his paws, Genghis quietly replied. "They went along the river together. They needed a break and they are the two oldest ones in the group, aren't they?"

Rolling onto her back, Little Dragon yawned, revealing her sharp little teeth. "They are good friends, Genghis." She murmured, pulling her right leg up to her, to clean some spots of swine fat off her fur.

"I know." The tom replied, grinning weakly, as Bill Bailey offered to help Little Dragon clean herself up. "I think they make a cute couple, don't they?"

Blaze nodded silently, staring briefly at Grumbuskin before curling up sleepily in her dark corner, as Little Dragon burst into giggles at Bill Bailey's first attempt to clean her dirt-matted chest in an un-ticklish manner.

"Things are gonna be interesting around here now." She murmured softly, as her former twin crept over and curled up beside her. 

Snuggling up beside her as he often had as a frightened toddler, chewing thoughtfully on the sausage, he nodded. "You said it, sis. It most definitely is."


	8. The Newcomers: Book 1 - Part 8

Walking across the silent hill, Blaze rubbed her arms with her slender hands wearily

Walking across the silent hill, Blaze rubbed her arms with her slender hands wearily. The black figure had haunted her dreams again, saying nothing, just gazing down at her pensively out of his bright red eyes.

But – for once – he wasn't the only one. As soon as that black face vanished, she saw that familiar grey and black striped face. But it didn't stop at his face, or just his torso. It was his whole and magnificent 6'2 body.

Sitting down on a small cluster of rocks, she leaned pensively on her knees, gazing down the wide valley, her tail flicking lightly back and forth as the breeze tussled with her long black mane, the morning light warming her body as the sun crept up over the horizon.

It had been around five weeks since they had taken up residence in the ruins, rebuilding them into a reasonably comfortable home for their little tribe and still, Little Dragon had been unable to face returning to the top of the tower.

And still, she and Grumbuskin had barely spoken since the day he had washed her face. A mute awkwardness fell on them whenever they got close to one another and they had resorted to sleeping as far from each other as was possible in the group. Both sides agreed – whenever neither of the duo were within hearing range – that the pair had to be in love. There was no other explanation.

"Talk to him." Little Dragon has whispered to her, the previous night, as they huddled together under the light of the moon.

"Shut up, kitten." She had hissed back, immediately regretted it. Now, sitting on the hillside in the light of a new day, she wished she could think of some way to make it up to the sweet little kitten.

A tear broke from the corner of her eye and trickled slowly down her dark cheek. He hadn't spoken to her for so long, she felt like her heart was being crushed in her chest. He couldn't have cared. He was playing with her.

Burying her face in her arms, she let the tears she had restrained for so long well up and sobbed softly against her folded arms.

*

"Where's Blaze gone?" Nudging Griddlebone gently, his voice was an urgent whisper. He had been woken by a jolt of mental pain that only came from her. He had been blocking her out so much because she had been blocking him and only now, when his guard was down, did he feel her as he had in those first days.

Raising her sleepy face, the Persian yawned, her sharp teeth as white as her fur. "She went for a walk…up the hill I think." Nestling back into McDuffs' firm back she sighed. "Try lookin' before ya wake me, next time."

Nodding, he ran out of the doorway, anxiety written on his face. The cliff was the place he should have thought of first. In the first days, they used sit up there all the time, but somehow they had drifted apart.

"Who am I trying to kid?" He growled to himself, as he propelled himself up the hill. "You love her. She might not love you, but dammit, you love her." That's why he hadn't been able to talk to her. He hadn't been able to face the fact she might turn him away. Reject him.

Coming over the top of the plateau, he paused to get his breath back, his eyes wandering over the hill top, spotting the familiar dark outline – so slim and shadow-like – crouched on a rock, barely visible.

"Blaze?"

Whipping around, she was on her feet in the blink of an eye, her claws out defensively. "What do you want?" She had been crying. He could hear it in her voice. "If you're coming to annoy me you can just leave now." Pointing back in the direction of the tower, she stamped her foot emphatically. "I…I just want to be alone."

"Blaze, please, hear me out." Taking several steps towards her, he could see she was fighting to hold back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her again.

"Why?" Her voice rose slightly, taking on a hysterical edge. "Why do you keep on doing this? You ignored me for so long? Why now? Why?"

Shaking his head, he reached out to her. "Blaze, I'm so sorry if I hurt you…I'm sorry."

"You think that makes everything all better?" She choked, barely two paces away from him, her arms crossed defensively over her chest. " 'Oh, Blaze, I'm sorry.' Its not fair, Grum! Its not!"

Taking the final step he reached down and took her paw in his. "Look, Blaze, we were both as bad as each other, weren't we? We were stupid. Why can't we forget it happened and go back to the way we were in the first few days?"

Gazing down at their joined paws, Blaze raised her violet eyes to his golden ones slowly, her stomach flipping. "We can't ever be the same as we were in the first few days." She whispered tersely, her eyes filling with tears. Throwing her arms around his neck, she buried her face into his thick silvery mane. 

Holding her close, unwilling to release her now, or ever again, he buried his face in the curve of her neck and shoulder inhaling her sweet scent, pulling her closer against him. Her hands pushed his face closer and he felt a tremor of desire run through him.

Unable to resist, he tentatively touched his lips to her neck, tenderly kissing his way to her lips, his paws resting on her smooth rump. Kissing along her jaw, he heard her moan softly and drew back to stare into her beautiful eyes.

"I have a confession." He whispered, one gentle paw caressing her cheek.

Nodding her own admission, she started to speak, but he gently touched a fingertip to her soft lips and shook his head.

"I know." He murmured, as his lips descended on hers finally, claiming her as his own. To at last be able to surrender to his embrace, Blaze felt like weeping with joy.

*

"Have you seen Grum this morning?" McDuff softly asked Griddlebone, careful not to wake the two kittens that snuggled on either side of her.

Nodding up at her lover's gentle face, she smiled tiredly. "He was looking for Blaze this morning…" They exchanged hopeful looks. There had been a lot of tension because of the duo's awkwardness. "Maybe they're together…"

"You talking about us?" The two peeked around the doorway, Cheshire cat grins on both their faces.

"Well, lookie you!" Griddlebone couldn't help but exclaim, looking from one contented face to the other. "Whoda thunk you'd actually have been talking to each other again?"

"Talking?" Grumbuskin grinned wickedly, his arm sliding around Blaze's waist, his lips ruffling the fur on her shoulder. "Who said we'd been talking?"

"Oh great!" Rolling his eyes, McDuff shook his head in mock-despair. "Just what we need. Two love-struck kitties. Isn't it terrible, Grid?"

Glancing passed the tall tom, at Genghis, the white queen nodded with a sad little smile. "Yeah," She replied softly, stroking Bill Bailey's back absently. "Being in love…Its really terrible."

Although she and McDuff were mated, there still wasn't that special flame that she had felt for the Siamese tom in the first few days. She was happy now, but she had felt something for Genghis that was more than just desire.

Paw-in-paw, the new lovers took a place beside the fire burning in the small fireplace they had built in the wall. Leaning back against the wall, Blaze slid between Grumbuskin's thighs, nestling her head against his sweat-matted chest.

"Grid?" Her eyes half-closed, she directed her question absently at the white queen. "Do you think we'll have a babies or a kittens?"

"You can't be pregnant already." Genghis laughed from the other side of the room, where he sat – carving a spear from a flint – his small pile of weapons increasing by the day. "I mean, you just stopped fighting today."

"Yes." She murmured quietly, closing her eyes, one paw straying to her stomach. "I couldn't be pregnant yet." Grumbuskin smiled, kissing the top of her head, his paw settling over hers. "Could I, love?"

"I wouldn't bet on it." The tom purred in her ear, their original mental connection once again reopened. I'm always right about these things, you know. 

Giggling against his chest, she shook her head with a laugh. Don't be daft! 

"What are you two laughing at?" Genghis looked at the pair curiously from tying a flint spearhead to a long cane.

"Nothing." Grinned Blaze, biting her lip, trying to ignore the cheeky sendings that Grumbuskin was presenting to her.

"Enough messing about, you two." McDuff cautioned, noticing the pained expression on Griddlebone's face. "Today is the hunt day." Pointing at the chunks of dried meat strung along the wall, he turned to them. "We're running low, so it's your turn, Grumbuskin and Genghis."

Reluctantly standing up, the silver-grey tom easily caught the spear that his brother-in-law tossed to him. "I'll be back for you later." He murmured deeply, bending to kiss his mate once more. 

*

"What's the deal?" Creeping through the undergrowth, Grumbuskin glanced at Genghis. He and the Siamese had become good friends on their frequent hunts together.

"What do you mean?" He asked softly, raising a silvery eyebrow. "I'm in love with her. What's wrong with that?"

Genghis grinned. "That's not what I meant!" Nudging the tom, he grinned cheekily. "Ya know…how does it work now that we're…well…cats?" Still infatuated with Griddlebone, he hadn't been able to find the nerve to ask her lover how it felt to mate with the queen he adored.

"You'll find out soon enough." Grumbuskin winked back at the Siamese tom, before melting into the bush with the stealth of a tiger.

"I hope so." The tom murmured, smoothing the creamy fur on his forehead down, his ears flattening against his skull as he took up the attack position and crept after the shadowy silver-grey tom. 

*

Braiding long stems of grass, Little Dragon looked up as Blaze approached, her ears flattening against her creamy skull.

"I just wanted to say sorry, kitt." Kneeling down beside the kitten, Blaze twisted her black paws together guiltily. "I was upset last night…I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"I told you to talk to him. You did and now you're happy, aren't you?" Handing the older queen a bunch of the grasses, she showed her how to braid them as they talked. 

"I am happy now." Blaze acknowledged sheepishly. Feeling the kitten's gaze on her, she looked up from braiding the grasses. "Is there anything you need or want to know? I mean about anything, kitten?"

Hesitantly, the kitten shrugged her shoulders, rubbing her face nervously, finally drawing the courage to ask. "I was just wondering about the big black thing I saw that day in the tower that day…"

"What about him?" A flood of relief washed over the black queen. At last the kitten would listen and perhaps accept her duty.

"If I talk to him…listen to him…do what he says…" She paused as if mentally weighing the question. "He won't hurt me will he?"

"Of course not!" Hugging the small queen, she chucked her chin reassuringly. "He just needs someone to talk through. I may be able to eventually, but he chose to appear to you…you can go back any time you want at all."

"He won't be angry that I took so long?"

Shaking her head, Blaze smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure he won't mind at all. Just talk to him and learn about who we all are." Squeezing the little queen's paws, she reassuringly murmured. "I'm sure you'll find out just how important you are to him."

Standing up, the Siamese queen brushed some strays tufts grass off her smooth fur with a slim brown paw. "I'll go now and see him." She said firmly, a new confidence and resolution in her silky voice. "Thanks Blaze."

"No problem, kit." Sighing, Blaze lay back in the grass, still braiding the bundles and twisting them into small baskets. As the Siamese made her way towards the tower, the black cat whispered to herself. "Maybe we'll get somewhere now. Just maybe."


	9. The Newcomers: Book 1 - Part 9

"Where's Little Dragon

"Where's Little Dragon?" Blinking sleepily, Bill Bailey rubbed his hazy brown eyes, yawning as Griddlebone rubbed the fur between his ears.

"Up there." Jabbing a thumb upwards, the white queen gestured to the top floor of their home, where the young Siamese had been spending a lot of time in the past days, communing with the black spirit.

Rolling onto his back, wriggling to try and rid himself of an aggravating itch, he licked his lips and twitched his nose sleepily. "Not again. I hardly ever get to play with her anymore."

Griddlebone reached down to scratch his tummy gently. "Don't worry about it, short stuff." She reassured him, stitching another small papoose up with taut leather thong. "She's learning about us. That's a lot to learn, but she'll be back to play with you soon, I guarantee it."

As if on cue, the sound of small paws running down the stone steps was audible and Little Dragon exploded down, tackling Bill Bailey and pulling on his tail cheekily. "So?" She chirped, batting at his nose. "Did ya miss me?"

"Don't flatter yourself." He muttered under his breath, turning away to come face-to-face with the smirking Griddlebone. Glancing over his shoulder at Little Dragon's sad blue eyes, he chuckled, flipping her over and pinning her down. "Of course I missed ya!" Licking her nose, he grinned. "Who am I trying to kid! You're me bestest best bud!"

"Aw!" Hugging him, Little Dragon nipped his ear playfully. "Well, you're me bestest best best bud too!" Tickling at his belly, she enquired cheerfully. "Wanna go and catch some fish down at the river?"

"Off you go, kids." Looking around at the sleeping figures of Grumbuskin, Blaze and McDuff, she cautioned. "And make less noise. You don't want to wake up those cranky cats, do you?"

"Good point." Bill Bailey whispered, taking Little Dragon by the paw. "We'll be…" He crept over towards the door, followed by his friend, then yelled. "SO QUIET!" Before sprinting away, leaving Griddlebone at the mercy on the newly-wakened cats.

*

"So, whatcha want to do?" Little Dragon enquired, her wide eyes following a large insect that buzzed irritatingly passed her nose. Batting at it with her paws, she flattened herself to the ground, crawling after it.

"Dunno." Bill Bailey watched her, chuckling as she pounced at the little bug, missing it completely, her paws catching thin air. "Wanna catch some fish? I thought that's what ya wanted to do."

Still flat on the ground, she squinted around at him, grinning wickedly. Her razor-sharp teeth were as white as snow, her eyes as blue as the wide, clear sky high above them. "I'll catch more than you!" She crowed throwing herself forward into a wild run, her eyes sparkling brightly.

"I wouldn't bet on it!" He yelled back, giving chase, his brown and white fur rippling as he ran. He tried to stifle a laugh of sheer exhilaration, but couldn't hold back, stumbling to a halt, breathless with giggles.

Catching up with the smirking queen by the river, he pouted in mock-annoyance, narrowing his brown eyes at her. "That wasn't fair." He muttered, turning his back on her, his arms folded across his chest.

"Nothing ever is with you." She retorted, sticking her tongue out as she leapt into the cool water with a shriek of laughter as it soaked her fur. 

"Still," Glaring at her, he tried to feel angry, but couldn't and threw himself into the water after her, his longer fur hanging in soggy swathes over his eyes. With his claws he pulled it back, to find Little Dragon's nose barely millimetres from his own. "It's just not fair!" He finished, swallowing hard.

A wicked twinkle in her blue eyes should have warned him, but she caught him off-guard, knocking him backwards, straight back under the cold water.

Bursting up through the surface, sending a shower of droplets spraying through the air, he yelled in delayed dismay, water streaming down his tangled fur, as Little Dragon peeked at him from behind a rock, giggling madly.

"I'll get you for that!" He vowed, charging after her, determination in his eyes.

Scrambling up onto the rock, she laughed happily. "Of course ya will!" She teasingly stuck her tongue out at him, wiggling her tail cheekily.

Leaping up, he tried to grab her leg, but she jumped out of his reach, her paw hitting a slippery patch on the rock. With a shriek, she plummeted out of sight, the sound of a body tumbling down the rocks followed by a splash.

"Little Dragon?" With a forced laugh, he tried to pull himself up onto the rock. "C'mon…stop fooling around…I'm bored with this game…c'mon." There was no response, only the quiet splash-splash-splash of the river against the rocks. "Dragon?"

Grabbing an outcropping on the rock, he felt his paws tearing as he scrambled up the jagged stone, warm blood making the already-dangerous outcroppings even more hazardous.

"Dragon?" Peering over the top, he stared down in horror, seeing her still body floating – face down – in the white, swirling rapids. "Dragon!"

Leaping off the rock with no concern for his own well-being, he plunged into the water, startled to find it only came to his knees as Little Dragon lifted her face out of the water, choking on a fit of manic giggles.

"You crazy little bitch!" He exclaimed, a shooting pain bursting up his legs, the jarring pain erupting from the hard impact his feet had made on the gravely bottom what he had supposed was a deep part of the river.

Smirking, she remarked. "That's kinda sweet. You were willing to play the hero to save little old me…then you call me names!"

"I think I have every right to!" He retorted, angrily clutching his throbbing leg. "I could have broken my leg and then what would we have done? Huh?" He looked his friend over. "But you are okay, aren't you?"

Nodding, she touched the back of her neck with an involuntary wince. "I've got a few scrapes and a bruise or two, but I think I'm okay."

"Let me look." He limped over to her, turning her around gently, his fingers carefully brushing aside her fur to examine the cuts on the back of her head and neck. A few drops of blood dripped onto his fur, spreading through his waterlogged coat, leaving it stained pink.

Sitting down sharply on a rock, Little Dragon yelped as his fingers probed a little more roughly than he intended. "Careful." She grimaced.

Pushing his long fur out of his eyes, he nodded, his fingers moving deftly. "Hold still." He murmured, lowering his mouth to her neck.

"What are you…" She trailed of as his rough tongue brushed lightly across the wounds, a new kind of pain shooting through her. A kind of pain she didn't mind at all. Her head lolled forward, as he slowly licked over every cut, cleaning it, all the way up her neck.

Sliding one arm around her waist to support her, he could feel her purring, the thrumming sound buzzing through him, sending tingles from his nose to the tip of his swishing tail, as he carefully licked the tender cuts on the tips of her delicate ears.

Little Dragon shivered, pulling his other arm around her body, his warm, firm, damp chest pressing solidly against her back. Running her head under his chin, she heard him give a deep purr and purred in response, her eyes closed happily.

*

"Ain't it sweet?" Grumbuskin remarked to Genghis, leaning on his spear, a cock-sure grin on his face. Below them, the two kittens nestled together, oblivious to the two toms on the low cliff above them. "Looks like we might win our bet after all."

"Don't be too sure." Genghis warned, grinning. "That Bill Bailey's a tricky little bugger. He'll hold off having a kitten until he knows he's won and then he'll be father of the year."

Chuckling, Grumbuskin hefted the spear from hand to hand. "It honestly wouldn't surprise me at all, Genghis…and if he tells that little queenie of his, I'm sure she'll play along."

Shaking his head, the male Siamese disagreed. "He won't tell her." He said with certainty. "She may like him, but if she found out he was making bets on having kittens, she would give him the biggest fight of his life. She's a stubborn tinker, that one."

"How'd you know so much anyway?" Grumbuskin turned to the other tom, one brow raised curiously. 

Shrugging, Genghis gave him a knowing smile. "I just know." He replied quietly. "And we'll leave it at that, okay?"

"Can we talk about Blaze then?" His face lighting up hopefully, Grumbuskin was grinning like a lovesick schoolboy. "Please?"

"You really think I want to hear how good my sister is?" Making a face, Genghis shook his head and grinned at the crestfallen tom. "How'd she doing?"

Grumbuskin's face was aglow as he chattered about his mate. "She's been a bit sick, but I suppose that expected in any pregnancy…we think she's about three weeks gone, but we can't be sure and she's dead excited about it…me too…God! Can you believe it, Genghis? We're gonna have kittens!"

"Whoa!" Holding up his chocolate paws, Genghis widened his eyes in mock-horror. "When you say 'we', you only mean you and Blaze, right? There's no way in hell I'd want to carry your kittens!"

With a deep sigh of regret, Grumbuskin slung an arm around his companion's shoulders. "I hate to say it, Genghis." He remarked sadly. "But you're just not my type."

"You have NO idea how relieved I am to hear that!" Genghis laughed. "And I'm sure Blaze would be relieved to hear it as well."

Tossing his spear over to the Siamese, Grumbuskin gave a low growl of laughter. "Perhaps we should actually go and do some hunting before Lady Griddlebone decides to give us one of her lectures about all toms being lazy again." He suggested, raising a black eyebrow.

"Sounds good to me." Genghis nodded with his usual lazy smile. "Lets get going before she comes to catch us."

Rubbing his head dramatically, Grumbuskin nodded. "She's got a powerful throwing arm for such a little lady. If we get to the woods, we should have enough cover…agreed?"

"Agreed!"

With that, both toms broke into a frantic run towards the safety of the trees on the edge of the wide clearing, laughing as they ran.

*

Blaze was curled up in the sun, outside the building, when the sodden kitten got back to the tower, giggling and whispering to one another.

Bill Bailey immediately ran inside to find McDuff, while Little Dragon sat down beside the sleepy Blaze and poked her tentatively with her paw.

"You okay, Blaze?" Her eyes fell on the very slight swell of the black queen's stomach. "Are you still feeling sick."

"I'm fine." Blaze replied quietly, stretching out sinuously with a yawn. "What about you? I noticed you and Bill Bailey seemed to be grinning an awful lot when you came back from the river."

Little Dragon's cheeks darkened, flushing under her silky fur. "We were just playing at the river." She tried to fight back her embarrassed giggles. "I fell off a rock and he cleaned all my cuts for me."

"That was nice of him." Blaze smiled, washing the dust-coated fur of her arms lazily with her tongue. "Care for a nap with me? I think this is the best spot for the sun…"

Nodding eagerly, the little Siamese queen curled up close beside the black queen, both dozing off quickly in a large, fluffy heap, the sun warming both of them as Bill Bailey and McDuff came out of the tower. 

"She seems all right to me." McDuff replied, playfully cuffing the kitten across the back of the head. "You made it sound like she was dying, kitt."

"Maybe she was tired." The kitten shrugged, pointing at the flecks of blood still dotted in Little Dragon's sleek fur. "She did hurt herself and I tried to clean all the blood, but that wouldn't go away."

"She'll be fine." McDuff replied, a knowing gleam in his eyes. "Don't be so worried, kitt. She's a tough little furball. She'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Bill Bailey frowned. When she had fallen into a sitting position on that rock, he had thought she had fainted or it was because her head was sore.

"Positive." The large tom replied, pushing the young tom towards the two sleeping queens. "Why not join them? You look exhausted."

Nodding, he clambered in between the two, adding a whole new scheme of colours to the already-diverse patterning.

Re-entering the tower, he smiled down at his mate, who lay languorously on a mattress of hide and straw, her white fur as impeccably clean and soft as ever, her paws beckoning him down to her, a smile on her sensual lips.

"Isn't young love a marvellous thing?" He drew her into his arms, burying his face into her gloriously thick white fur, holding her as close and as tightly as he dared.

"And they all live happily ever after." She nodded, her lips finding his, her arms wrapping warmly around him. Or at least I hope so, she thought to herself, giving into to the secure warmth of his love.


	10. The Newcomers: Book 1 - Part 10

Singing softly to herself, her slim fingers deftly stitching the seam of a small papoose up, Blaze shifted her weight from one hip to the other, leaning up on her elbow, the warmth of the fire heating her chilly feet

Singing softly to herself, her slim fingers deftly stitching the seam of a small papoose up, Blaze shifted her weight from one hip to the other, leaning up on her elbow, the warmth of the small fire heating her chilly feet.

The cool night air drifted in the window on the light breeze, the sounds of the rest of the tribe sleeping rising from the lower story of the tower. Blaze and Grumbuskin had been moved to the warmer and more private room in the upper level of the tower, in preparation for the birth of their kitten.

A hand slid over her hip, stroking her rounded belly lightly, a sleepy, deep, male voice joining in with the familiar words of the familiar song.

"I thought you were sleeping." She murmured, her mate's chin rising to rest on her shoulder, as she knotted the thin strips of hide together and laid the fur-lined papoose down beside her.

"When you were singing so beautifully?" He enquired, kissing her shoulder softly, his whiskers tickling her neck. "How could I sleep?"

"You mean I woke you up with my horrible noise." She corrected, drawing his silvery arms around her, folding the black-furred hands over her enlarged abdomen, so he – too – could feel the light kicking of the little paws within.

He smiled, his legs entwining with hers. "I didn't say that, lover." He purred in her ear. "I like you to sing. I woke up because it was so beautiful."

"Sappy git." She sniffed, snuggling against him, her eyes half-closed. Her tail tangled around his and he chuckled as she ran her toes up the back of his leg. 

Nipping on her shoulder, he growled. "I won't get to sleep at this rate…if you're not singing, you're tickling me…if you're not tickling me…well…I don't think I need to spell it out to you, my darlin' girl."

"You, my love," She rolled over slightly to gaze up at him. "Are the craziest little tomcat I know!"

"Little?" He licked across her cheek and nose with his rough tongue, his breath warm on the damp fur. "You're calling me little? I think you might need to have your eyes…and other important faculties checked, sweetheart." Pushing his pelvis against the small of her back as emphasis, he thickly whispered. "See?"

Swallowing hard, Blaze kissed him lightly. "I think feel is more appropriate here." She replied, her voice sultry as she pulled his lips down on hers.

*

Squatting on the large rock, Genghis suspiciously watched the lizard, his blue eyes narrowed in a feigned challenge, his teeth glinting in the twilight.

Oblivious to the bored tom watching it, the lizard curled its clawed toes around the branches of a small bush and started climbing, blinking stupidly as Genghis leaned over and flicked at the twigs naughtily.

Swinging along upside down, the little creature seemed unperturbed. The Siamese tom chuckled, scooping it gently up in his silky, chocolate-coloured paw, his fingers carefully touching the tiny spines on its back.

"Whatcha got there?" A soft voice behind him made him jump. Little Dragon grinned impishly, peeking over his shoulder at the tiny reptile he held in his hands.

"I think I'll call it Dragon." He thrust it towards her face, grinning mischievously as she leapt back with a shout of dismay. "It won't bite, Little Dragon…it is just a baby after OW!"

Dropping it, he stuck one finger hastily in his mouth, a pained expression on his face. A grin lit up Little Dragon's face.

"Lemme guess…" She snatched his hand, turning it towards the light. "A-ha! It bit you! I thought you said it couldn't bite!"

With an injured expression, he pulled his hand back, staring at the drip of blood that was forming where the little beast had nipped him.

"I didn't think it could." He mumbled, licking the blood away. "It looked so small and pathetic…"

"Lemme see it." Sitting down beside him, Little Dragon gently took his furry hand in hers, touching the torn finger. It was a surprisingly deep wound, considering the size of his assailant. She gently pressed the wound and Genghis gave an involuntary girlish shriek of pain.

"Well…uh…my hand's better now, so I'll let you go...back to sleep…or whatever you were doing…" He pulled his hand back, glaring at her as he cradled it against his chest.

Raising her pale blue eyes to him, she shivered. "Could I stay out here with you tonight?" She asked shyly. "It's so stuffy inside and I want to stay out here in the fresh air."

"Is that the only reason you want to stay out here with me?" He pulled her over beside him, wrapping her up with his body. "You really want to catch a cold so we all have to look after you, don't you?"

"Drat!" She giggled, poking him playfully in the belly. "You can read my mind!"

Leaning around her, he rested his weight on his forearms, gazing up at the cheeky little queen. She was the same breed as he and he felt almost a sort of elder-brother affection for her.

Also, similar to him, she was single, but she didn't feel the intense loneliness that the Siamese tom did. She had Bill Bailey as a close and adoring friend and they were clearly besotted – albeit unknowingly – with one another.

"So," Quirking his eyebrow, he cheerfully enquired. "What's the problem? What can I do you for?"

Shrugging, she hugged her legs, rocking on her heels. "I dunno…" Sheepishly grinning at him, she cleared her throat. "Its silly really, ya know…" Pausing, she twisted her slender hands together. "Grum and Blaze will have a kitten soon." She finally murmured. "It…it kinda scares me…"

"Why so?" He enquired, taking her hands in his own. "What is it about them and their kitten that scares you?"

With a soft laugh, she replied. "I'm not scared of them…but I'm scared I'll never be like them…they're so happy and I keep thinking I might never have a mate or kitten…I'm scared I'll never be happy like them…that's what scares me."

"Oh Dragon," Half-sighing with exasperation, half rolling his eyes, Genghis hugged the younger queen fondly. "That's the story of my life!" He bumped his head lightly against hers with a smile. "Look at you, for goodness sake! You're bright, pretty, young, friendly! You've got plenty of time and plenty of appeal for any mate…"

"But…"

"But? But?" He echoed incredulously. "Trust me when I say you'll have a mate, Little D. You'll just have to wait until you find each other…then you'll be as happy and Blaze and Grum…it just takes a little time, sometimes."

Little Dragon giggled sheepishly. "Thanks, Genghis." She murmured, nestling closer to the warm tom, her face resting against his chest. 

"Feeling better?" He asked, kissing her fondly on the top of her head, his arms around her thin shoulders.

Nodding, she yawned sleepily, her voice faltering off mid-sentence, as she fell asleep against his chest. "Much better...Gen…ghi…"

"That's my kitt." He smiled sadly, stroking her fur gently, the furry mass of Griddlebone's body visible through the doorway, from his position. Sighing in aggravation, he shook his head. "You'll just have to wait til you find each other…what a load of crap…"

*

In the early light, Grumbuskin cast a sidelong glance at his younger hunting partner for the day. Bill Bailey grinned back at him, his eyes glinting dangerously.

The small brown and white tom thrived on the thrill of the chase, proving himself to but much stronger and fiercer than he appeared to be.

"Ready?" Grumbuskin whispered, his eyes locked on the massive trison that was to be their prey.

"You betcha." The other tom slid his claws out slowly. 

Silently running forward, both leapt in unison. Grumbuskin landed astride the beast's wide back, his hands tightening around the curled horns on its head, while Bill Bailey's arms and legs wrapped around its neck. His teeth latching onto the wiry throat, tearing through the coarse hair that protected the area.

Pulling the huge, shaggy head back with the horns, Grumbuskin's legs hooked around Bill's, holding him onto the animal more firmly, the blood blinding him, splashing all over his face and chest.

Slightly larger than anything the duo had attacked before, the beast tossed and bucked without warning, Bill Bailey's claws digging into the hide for a better grip, which made the huge creature squeal with outrage and pain.

Grumbuskin wasn't so lucky, as the trison jerked his four hind legs into the air, hurling the silver tom violently through the air, his body smashing against a thick tree trunk with a sickening crunch.

"Grum?" Hanging back, Bill could see the crumpled figure of his friend sprawled on the ground, motionless and bloody. "Grum? Buddy? Come on! Get up?"

The little tom suddenly realised the savage animal hadn't finished with his assailants yet, as he wheeled round, carving up the loamy soil with his jagged hooves, preparing to charge, seemingly oblivious to the smaller attacker that was still latched onto its thick neck. The thick hide there seemed like a blessing in disguise to the slight tom.

"I don't think so!" He breathed, pulling himself painfully in a sharp swing up onto the top of the bull's head, the horns pressing against his stomach as he wrapped his arms across the eyes tightly.

Blinded, the trison swung round, trying to dislodge the tom, his attention drawn from his silver victim, who sprawled – unconsciousness – under the wide trees, his blood staining the mossy ground dark red.

"Show me what ya got, big guy." Hissing in the bucking animal's ear, Bill Bailey sank his claws into its massive eyes, gritting his teeth. 

It was going to be a wild ride, but he knew he could beat it. He was tough enough to take on anything.

*

"Blaze?" Griddlebone raced after the queen, her white tail streaming out behind her. "Blaze? Where are you going?"

Catching up with the sobbing queen, Griddlebone grasped her black shoulders, halting her flight. "Let me go! Let me go, Grid!"

"Whats wrong, Blaze?

"Grumbuskin" She practically screamed, panic-stricken tears pouring down her face. "I can't feel him…I felt a pain and now he's gone…" Breaking into a run, she kept crying. "The hunt went wrong…something happened…"

Taking charge, Griddlebone spun round and bellowed McDuff's name, thanking her stars for her operatic, voice-projection training, as the other two toms both appeared within seconds.

"The guys are in trouble." 

*

Panting, leaning heavily on his thighs, Bill Bailey stared down at the motionless corpse. He was stained with thick, almost black blood, his long fur plastered down, sticky against his body.

"Bill? Are you okay?" Genghis materialised on the far side of the clearing, staring at the devastation around him in amazement. "Where's Grum?"

"Grum…" Stumbling around the body of the trison, he collapsed down beside the still body of the silver tom, rolling him over carefully, brushing the blood-crusted knots of fur back from his face. "C'mon Grum…mate…talk to me…"

Pressing his ear against his friend's chest, Bill Bailey felt a burning in his eyes, as he hugged the silver body to his chest.

"Grumbuskin?" Toiling into the clearing, Blaze stopped short in horror. "Bill…please… say he's okay…please…please…"

Raising his tear-filled eyes to the beautiful black queen, Bill Bailey shook his head slowly, lowering his face. "I'm sorry, Blaze…I'm so sorry…"


	11. The Newcomers: Book 1 - Part 11

Rocking the silver tom's body in her arms, Blaze buried her face in the wonderfully thick fur of his chest, her tears mingling with the blood matting his coat, her eyes burning with bitter rage

Rocking the silver tom's body in her arms, Blaze buried her face in the wonderfully thick fur of his chest, her tears mingling with the blood matting his coat, her eyes burning with bitter rage. 

"I'm sorry, Blaze." Bill Bailey stood, slump-shouldered, behind her. He had done all he could to reach his friend. 

Staring up at him, Blaze shook with fury and misery. "Why didn't you try to save him?" She screamed angrily. "Why did you waste time killing that thing when you could have saved him?" 

"Blaze..." Griddlebone gently wrapped her white arms around the sobbing black queen. "Bill did all he could... you can't blame him for Grumbuskin's..." She couldn't bring herself to say the word.   
"Death." Blaze mumbled numbly. "Why him, Grid? Why my Grumbuskin? What about our kitten?"   
"I don't know, Blaze." Drawing the younger queen into a sympathetic embrace, Griddblebone smoothed her fur, kissing the top of her head sadly. "I really just don't know." 

*

Little Dragon stared at the spirit, perplexed. "What do you mean... dead?"

"There was nothing I could do to prevent the death of one of your tribe." Charumcah gazed implacably down at the slight queen, his expression on his dark face as neutral as ever. 

The Siamese queen shook her head vehemently. "Don't give me that crap!" She snarled, her hands on her hips fiercely. "You drag me all the way up here, tell me you brought all of us to save your planet, then you'll just sit back and let us die?" She stared out of the window blankly, noticing uneasily that a dark cloud had suddenly begun to form in the clear sky.   
Turning back to the spirit, she smiled icily. "I think you're testing us. You can save him any time you want to, but you just want to see how we're going to cope with the loss..." 

The cloud swirled closer and closer, engulfing the tower in darkness, but Little Dragon paid no heed, as she took another step towards the spirit. 

"You listen to me, buddy." She growled, her hackles rising, her neat white fangs bared threateningly. "You're going to bring my friend back now. He has a mate and they're expecting a kitten... he will NOT die!" 

The spirit said nothing for several minutes. It was true. Grumbuskin had sustained a severe blow to the head, but he would not necessarily have died from it, lest Charumcah drew the Yealika's spirit away permanently. He still could return the life. 

Lightening flashed around the tower, sparking off the walls around the queen and the spirit. The only outward sign of her anxiety came when her ears flicked back against her skull, but she stood her ground. 

"I won't let you let him die." She murmured calmly. "Tell me how to save him."   
"There is no wa..." 

"Don't give me that bullcrap." She spat. "I know of the old ways. You told me of them yourself, tell me how to do this!!" She stared at the deep, blood-red eyes. "I'm begging, Charumcah," She lowered her voice. "Please..." 

*

"What the hell is going on there?" Genghis and McDuff halted the litter that was bearing Grumbuskin's body back to the tower to stare at the immense, jet-black cloud that roiled and billowed around the peak of the tower. 

White lightening streaked across the sky, deep rumbles of thunder shaking the very ground they stood on. 

"Someone's pissed the black shadow dude off." Bill Bailey murmured painfully, his hand still clutched to his aching ribs, the blood sticky on his fur. 

"And it could only be one person..." Griddlebone whispered, her ears flattening against her skull. "Little Dragon's up there with him." 

Blaze raised her eyes bleakly to the tower, her hand still clutching Grumbuskin's motionless one tenderly, a look of hope slowly brightening her dulled violet eyes as she felt the tingle of power in the air. 

"We have to get there." She whispered hoarsely, her lips barely able to move. "We have to get to the tower as fast as we can!"

Bill Bailey quirked an eyebrow. "I get the crap squished out of me and now you want me toasted? And I thought you liked me..." 

"Shut the hell up!" She growled, bending over Grumbuskin, touching his silver face urgently. "Little Dragon..." Her lips moved, but no sound emerged, her eyes closing lightly. "Stop moving!" She ordered, sitting down beside her mate's body. 

Lowering the litter, the two larger toms watched in confusion, as Blaze smiled, laying one of her hands over her own heart, her other hand resting on his chest. 

"Tell me how, Dragon." She breathed. "I'm ready..." 

Backing away, Bill Bailey crept closer to Griddlebone, his uneasy, nervous fear apparent. Wrapping himself in her arms, he watched what the black queen was doing, along with three other pairs of eyes. 

*

At the high window of the tower, Little Dragon sat on the window ledge and slowly stretched out her arms, the lightening dancing around her, the heat singing her soft fur as she concentrated.   
Swallowing hard, she spread her palms and focused on the small group in the distance, a burst of burning pain exploding through her veins, her blood turning into the very lightening the illuminated her. 

The air around her shimmered and crackled as she drew on the energy of the planet and spirit, feeling it pulse through her; heating her, drawing from her, draining her very life force. 

A low moan rumbled in her throat, but she found the connection she needed with the black queen and ignored the pain long enough to send the blast of life-giving energy between them. 

Wave after wave of dizziness and nausea washed over her, as she grimfacedly maintained the link, her body shaking from the ultimate effort. 

Without warning, the blackness engulfed her, the connection broken, the oblivion complete. 

*

With a jerk, Grumbuskin's body spasmed against Blaze's shaking hand, his mouth dragging in a gasp of precious air as the energy passed through his body, his dark green eyes sliding weakly open as his lungs filled with the sweet oxygen. 

Blinking weakly, he slowly raised his hand to touch Blaze's one that still lay on his chest, a hesitant smile crossing his unusually pale lips. 

Her head was aching from the channeling, but Blaze couldn't give a damn about it, gathering her mate in her arms, her tears of relief splashing down his face. 

"Hey." He mumbled painfully through his broken jaw. "I thought you would at least be pleased to see me..." 

"You prat!" She sobbed with relief. "You silly, silly, prat. Don't you ever die without telling me first, do you hear me? Don't you dare!" 

"Been there, done that, got the t-shirt." He breathed slowly, touching her face wonderingly. "Don't fancy trying it again." Kissing the trickle of tears off her cheek, he smirked up at her. "Does this mean I get breakfast in bed yet?" 

"Don't push your luck!" She replied sharply, poking him in the ribs gently, her eyes widening as he yelped in pain. "Oh, Grum, darlin' I'm sorry..." 

"You forget," He spoke through his teeth painfully. "You resurrected me... you didn't heal me..." 

"You can do that yourself, you lazy arse." Bill Bailey sauntered over. "You have no idea how much effort I had to put in to kill that thing...ME! I had to do something useful! All to save your sorry hide, can you believe that?" 

"What is the world coming to?" Grumbuskin grinned weakly. "Now we know you can hunt, you've got no excuse." 

Bill Bailey stared at his battered compatriot, then laughed. "Damn! My evil plans foiled!" He paused, shaking his head lightly. "Again!" 

"Do you hurt much, Grum?" Griddlebone asked anxiously, leaning over Blaze's shoulder to look him over. 

Shifting his weight, he shook his head weakly. "Not too badly." He replied, lying through his teeth. "I'm a mass of bruises and I think my shoulder must be dislocated... it was that thump on the head that did the damage." 

"Damage?" Genghis echoed. "Dost my ears deceive me? You insinuate that you have something worth damaging inside that thick little skull of yours?" 

"Stranger things have happened." Grumbuskin acknowledged weakly. 

Nodding, Genghis retorted. "Blaze here was dumb enough to mate with you... now that is strange!" 

"Thanks." Blaze stuck her tongue out, swaying a little, still dizzy. 

"Whats wrong, love?" Grumbuskin touched her cheek gently, his eyes dak with concern. "Are you feeling okay?" 

"Its just the after-effects of channeling the energy back into you." She rubbed her temples with a weak smile. "I didn't do much...I just had to direct the energy flow...I got the energy from Little Dragon." 

"Dragon?" Bill Bailey's ears flattened back. "Will she feel as bad as you do, Blaze?" 

Shrugging weakly, blaze wetted her lips. "I'm not sure, Bill..." She glanced over at the tower. The dark cloud was still there, but was paling...melting away. "She won't be good...if I feel this dizzy..."   
Before she had even finished speaking, the little tom had sped of, faster than the lightening that had scorched the ground so close to them, his feet barely seeming to skim the rough grasses. 

*

Flying up the tower stairs like a bat out of hell, he saw her slumped there, in the shadows, her delicate little body contorted into an agonising position, her face taut and strained. 

"Dragon?" Dropping down beside her, he tenderly rolled her over, cradling her in his arms gently. 

He could hear every weak, shallow breath she drew, her eyelids fluttering as if she were in the throes of some horrible fit while her body lay inert in his arms, her tail limp on the stone floor.   
Her creamy fur was soaked to a dark brown with sweat, the stench of vomit filling the tower with its nauseating smell. 

Stroking her face gently, he murmured softly to her, nuzzling her tenderly, his body pressed warmly against her cold one, warming her. 

When the blue eyes finally opened, Bill Bailey felt like singing, but - instead - smiled and held her closer, gathering her in his arms and carrying her down the winding stairs. 

"Bill?" Blinking as he carried her carefully outside into the sunlight, she rested her face against his chest. "Is he all right?" 

Looking down at the self-sacrificing queen, he smiled gently. "Yes, Dragon. That lazy git's goin' to be fine...so are you." 

"I know." She murmured, nestling closer to him. 

*

Laying Grumbuskin carefully on the thick, soft furs, Blaze drew his head into her lap, gently stroking the thick mass of silver fur. His eyes were closed now, but it was in rest, no longer in unconsciousness and the soothing caress of his mate's fingertips relaxed him even more. 

Yawning, he licked his lips and grinned with wicked delight when Blaze giggled and lifted his lips away from the inviting warmth of her inner thighs, lowering her own mouth to his. 

"You taste nice." He murmured wearily as she withdrew her lips, tracing her fingers tenderly along his swollen jaw. 

"I'll take that as a compliment." She whispered in husky response, gently licking his bloody fur with her rough tongue, cleaning the dirt and crusty mud and blood out of his silky mane. 

Closing his eyes, he tilted his chin back to let her clean his neck and smiled. "It was meant as one...you've neer tasted or smelt better than you do tonight..."

And even though he told her that many times, it never had as much meaning as it did on that day, as she tended his wounds and cleaned his scars. 

*

Outside, Bill Bailey still embraced Little Dragon.Carrying her down to the river, he laid her on the bank, sliding into the water and gently pulling her in beside him, cradled securely in his arms.   
Carefully cleaning the grime and sweat off her fur with the soft, sun-warmed water, he smiled at her, as her arm wrapped around his shoulder holding him close.

Flushing the dirt and sweat out of her soft fur, he moistened his striped paws and stroked her relaxed face, brushing the burning, hot skin with the water, cooling her down slowly.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked as she opened her round blue eyes. 

"Much." She smiled weakly up at him, her lips barely strong enough to twitch upwards in the full smile she wished she could give him. "My head...hurts a little...but I think I'll be fine..." Her eyes sank closed once more. 

Cleaning her face more slowly with his tongue, he paused and murmured. "You better be, little lady." Shifting in his arms she rubbed her face against his, her soft lips brushing too close to his own for him to resist. 

Little Dragon was more than fully-aware of the firm lips of a very attractive tom pressing hungrily against her, her arm tightening around his shoulder, deepening the kiss until it became unbearable. 

Drawing back, the pair stared at one another in awe-struck silence - the only sound the ripple of the water around them. Little Dragon hesitantly fingering her lips, a grin twitching at the corners of her mouth. 

"Uh..." Bill Bailey quirked her that cheeky familiar sheepish grin, his arms still securely around her. "What just happened?" 

Shifting her weight, her damp chest rubbed teasingly against his as she lifted herself up, both arms draped over his shoulders, holding her body closely against his as she replied silkily. "You just kissed me." 

"Er..." Grinning weakly, he shook his head. "I think you'll find its the other way around, Dragon..." 

Shaking her head, she gazed up at him from below thick dark lashes, a soft smile playing on her lips. "No, Mr Bailey," She murmured softly. "If I kissed you, it would be like this..." 

The second kiss the pair shared was more prolonged and much sweeter than their previous and first shy attempt with much less of the clashing of fangs that often accompanies a first kiss.   
"So..." Grinning like the cat that got the proverbial cream, the brown and white tom kissed the Siamese queen gently on the tip of her brown muzzle. "Do you still have such a very bad headache?" 

"I think I'll survive." Returning the grin, Little Dragon kissed him again, their damp fur wafting in the current. 

*

"Awww." Griddlebone drew back from the window ledge with a smile. "Our resident kittens are now officially mated." 

From his position on the floor, where his head still rested in his mate's lap, the silver tom chuckled painfully, his aching ribs crying out in outrage. "Looks like I'm going to win, after all." He mumbled, burying his face in the fuzzy, black warmth of her round belly. 

"Win what?" Blaze asked sleepily, her own head resting on the snoozing Genghis' back, her arms pillowing her head against his firm, muscular spine. "You haven't been making bets have you?" 

"Would I?" Came the muffled reply from her belly, followed by a lazy yawn.   
Genghis gave a stifled snort of laughter, puffing up his long whiskers up as he lazily shifted his weight slightly off his back, rolling onto his side much to Blaze's indignation. 

"Kittens in less than two years, no doubt." Blaze murmured sleepily, unable to figure out just why Genghis and Grumbuskin both burst out laughing. 

Glancing out the window once more as the young couple, Griddlebone sank down next to her mate and grinned at the giggling trio on the floor with a heavy sigh of mock-despair. 

"Hopefully those two will prove a tiny bit saner than this lot...sensible parents...thats what we need..."   
"Wishful thinking, love." McDuff chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. "Most everyone is mad here." 

Rolling her eyes, Griddlebone nodded. "Ain't that the truth!" 

"And to think the insanest one of us all is going to be a daddy in a matter of weeks..." Genghis whimpered from beneath Blaze's legs. "God help the Yeahlika world as we know it!" 

"And us." Blaze added, turning serious. "We need all the help we can get."


	12. The Newcomers: Book 1 - Part 12

"Could I have a word with Grum, Blaze

"Could I have a word with Grum, Blaze?" Little Dragon glanced from the black queen to her mate, who lay lazily on his back on the grass, the sun on his face. 

Smiling gratefully at the Siamese queen, Blaze nodded, rising to her feet smoothly and leaving the two to talk about the miracle of the previous day. 

"Grum, I have to know what you think happened yesterday? I mean, you came back from the dead... what do you think of it?" 

Shrugging as much as he could, he smiled lazily at her, running a silvery-black paw through his headfur. "I guess I used one of my nine lives. We're cats, so I s'pose that's what it was. Why?" 

Little Dragon rocked back on her heels. That explained the simplicity of it all. Of course, there was that tradition that cats had nine lives - but then there was always the tradition of cats falling on their feet, which she knew just wasn't true at all. 

"Why so serious?" Grimacing, the wounded silver tom leaned up on his elbows, staring at her severe, sober face, a sickening feeling creeping into his stomach, a grim shiver running the length of his spine. 

"I hate to have to tell you this." She murmured, twisting her brown hands together uneasily. "But you almost died. I don't mean like one-of-nine-lives-died... I mean dead - as in finito, gone, rest in peace..." 

"Huh?" 

Sighing, Little Dragon quietly explained. "If I hadn't managed to get enough energy from the planet, you wouldn't have been resurrected. You would still be dead. We don't have nine lives. It's a myth." 

"Why? It wasn't that serious an injury, was it?" He protested uneasily, his head starting to throb unbearably. 

Closing her eyes briefly, Little Dragon inhaled a slow breath. "It was a test." She murmured. "A test of character - to see if we could cope..." 

"A test?" 

"It didn't work." She gritted her teeth angrily, feeling foolish at how easily Charumcah had manipulated her. "Everyone was too shocked to reacte... it all seemed so surreal, that no one realised what had happened... that you could have stayed dead." 

"You mean someones experimenting on us? Like guinea-pigs? We're like a mini-zoo for some sycophant?" Lurching upward, Grumbuskin sank down, clutching his ribs with a groan. "Why in the hell would anyone do that?" 

"That's not it." She falteringly tried to explain. "He wants to see that we're strong - resilient enough to survive." 

"How can we survive?" Grumbuskin muttered angrily. "There's too few of us. We need more... how can we form a good tribe if there are only seven of us? Tell your precious shadow to send more and he'll see just how resilient and tough we can be." 

"You want me to pick another fight with him?" Casting the silver tabby a sheepish grin, the queen rubbed her neck awkwardly. "He was kinda pissed that I decided to argue with him yesterday..." 

"Blaze told me about the storm he put on the tower." Grumbuskin remarked. "He's a touchy bugger, whoever he is. Is he for us or against us, Dragon? Can you at least tell me that?" 

"He's for us... he's the last of his kind and has chosen us to replenish the planet." 

"Oh, that's reassuring." The silver tom rolled his green eyes. "So he just does random murders to test that we're strong and yet, only gives us a tribe of seven... sensible chap... very sensible." 

"At least you're alive, Grum." Dragon reminded him with a shy smile. "I could have let him have you. Just think, you'd never have seen your kitten or anything." 

Squeezing her paw, he forced back the tears that rose at that thought. "And I'm grateful for that, Dragon." He mumbled, blinking. "I owe you so much." 

"Don't you get sappy on me." She wagged a stern finger at him. "I have to have your promise that you won't tell the others though!" 

"Then why did you tell me?" 

Shrugging, she grinned. "Just to warn you to behave. I might not like you so much next time." She paused, glancing at the sky. "And I wanted to know what you would suggest as something to make us stronger - you said others - that's all I needed to know." 

She stood up, shaking some tufts of grass off her fur, brushing her hands over her hips. 

"Dragon?" She looked down with a smile. "Will he send more? I mean, you said he wanted to know what would make us stronger. Will he give us more for our tribe?" 

Scratching her jaw with a sigh, she shook her head. "I don't know." She replied honestly. "He's got a mind of his own and I just can't tell... but we can hope." 

"Hope..." Nodding, he grinned. "That's the truth!" 

*

Carefully leaping over McDuff's outstretched legs, Little Dragon landed silently beside Bill Bailey, laying down beside him. 

"Do I want to know what that was about?" He murmured sleepily, pulling her arms around his waist as her face buried against the thick fur of his back, nuzzling between his well-defined shoulder blades. 

Licking his shoulder gently, she smiled. "I doubt it. It wasn't anything interesting at all." 

"That's what they all say." He mumbled, rolling over and drawing her against his chest, their legs tangling around one another. Kissing the top of her head tenderly, he yawned, her fur rippling under his breath. 

Nipping his chin playfully, she grinned naughtily up at him, her slim hands sliding down his firm body.   
"Don't you ever get tired?" He groaned, pushing her off and rolling onto his side, feigning annoyance as her arms snaked around him again, her lips scattering kisses across his back and shoulders. 

"Not really." She took his hands in hers and rose to her feet, pulling him with her, ignoring his reluctant complaining and leading him up the stairway to Blaze and Grumbuskin's deserted sleeping quarters. "I got a new game I want to show you."

"A... new game?" His ears pricked up eagerly. 

Winking over her shoulder, she scampered lightly up the stairs, leaving him staring delightedly after her. Bill Bailey's feet barely touched a step as he sped after her, a Cheshire grin spread across his face. 

*

Sitting outside in the sun, Blaze was content to watch Grumbuskin sleep as she continued to work on her little papoose, sewing delicate little stones onto it, to brighten the dull, tan-coloured leather.

Rubbing her back, she sighed. In the heat of the summer, the pregnancy was agonising, the heat driving her almost insane. Stretching, she rubbed her rounded belly, acknowledging the soft kick from within with a smile. 

"One of these day, ya little critter." She murmured, firmly tapping the other side of her bump and promptly receiving another kick in return. "One of these days, I'm going to hold you in my arms and tell you to stop kicking me." 

As if responding, the kitten kicked consecutively three times before rolling under her paws and kicking a different position. 

"Cheeky beastie." Smiling, she stood up, walking towards the tower. Her remaining pieces for the papoose were upstairs and she wanted to finish it as soon as she could. Also, she decided that she needed a little shelter from the blazing sun, as she walked in the door. 

"How's Grumbuskin?" McDuff inquired from the shadows as she blinked, accustoming her eyes to the dark interior of the building. 

Smiling over at the older tom, she shrugged expressively. "He's still got aches and pains all over, claims to be having some trouble walking anywhere and has decided he needs constant supervision, but other than that, he seems to be fine." 

Nodding, he raised an eyebrow. "How are _you_ doing?" 

With a weak smile, she rubbed her belly again. "I'm okay. A little tired... can't wait for it all to be over. Its just so hot..." 

With a sympathetic smile, he stood up. "Do you need anything to drink? I'm going down to the river and I could get you some cool water if you want some." 

"I'd appreciate that." She moved up the stairs slowly, one hand pressed supportively against the base of her back, a grimace of pain crossing her face. 

Reaching the top of the stairs, she doubled over with a gasp, clutching her stomach, her face contorted with pain. 

Sitting up beneath the blanket, Bill Bailey and Little Dragon looked sheepishly at one another, then back at the groaning black queen. 

"Er...sorry Blaze..." Bill began, trying to hide the flush that gleamed through his fur. "We thought you were outsi..." 

"Get Grumbuskin and Griddlebone." Little Dragon whispered to her mate, pulling herself up and running to Blaze's side. "Tell them its important..." 

Blinking in confusion, the tom nodded, running down the stairs, wondering why Blaze had over-reacted so badly to seeing him and Dragon together. 

*

"It hurts... God, Grid, it hurts so bad!! Make it stop... make it stop..." Her claws sinking into the thick hide, Blaze arched her back with an agonised moan as another wracking pain ran through her body.   
"I wish I could, Blaze." The white queen knelt grimly between Blaze's knees, watching carefully for the first sign of the kitten. 

"You're doin' great, sweetheart." Grumbuskin's lips pressed against her thick fur, his eyes brimming with tears at the pain he had brought on his lover. "You're gonna be fine... I'm so proud of you... so proud, darlin'..."   
With a sob of pain, she sank back against his chest, her breath escaping in ragged pants. "I can't do more... I can't... too painful..."   
Griddlebone met Grumbuskin's green eyes anxiously. It had been a long labour already and the black queen was tiring fast, her sweat-soaked fur slicked against her body, her hands shaking from sheer effort and pain. 

"You have to do it, Blaze...you have to get through this...if you don't you and the kitten will die." There was no escaping the facts and Griddlebone only hoped they would push enough sense in past the haze of pain that was cocooning the black queen. 

Nodding, gritting her teeth, with a supreme effort of will, she pulled herself together. With a firm smile, Grumbuskin grasped her paws, holding them tightly. 

"We're going to do this together, you hear?" 

Nodding painfully, she squeezed his hand in acknowledgement, a grim smile flitting across her taut face as she took a deep breath. "You got it. My pain is your pain..." 

"Now wait a minute!" He began to protest, faltering off with a yell of pain and she gripped his hand tighter and tighter, her eyes pressed shut as the pain increased, her entire body tensing in readiness. 

Simultaneously, Blaze released and ear-splitting shriek, doubling over and there was a dull, ripping sound – then silence.

The silence lasted less than five seconds as there was an indignant little splutter and a weak, mewling wail. 

"It's a girl!" Griddlebone whispered, hot tears in her eyes. "A beautiful little girl." Lifting the kitten, she gently wiped her clean, then tenderly laid her on her mother's soft black stomach, before ushering Little Dragon out of the room to leave the couple alone. 

"It's a girl... it's a girl!" Grumbuskin repeated in a reverent, hushed tone, his eyes aglow with amazement. "I'm a daddy... oh, God...Blaze...you're the most incredible queen in the whole wide world!" 

"Couldn't have done it without you." She murmured, kissing him weakly. 

Helping her sit up, he held both of them close, gazing down at the little bundle his mate rocked gently in her arms. "She's so beautiful, just like her mother..." 

Blaze touched the small feline face tentatively, barely able to believe it. This was her kitten, her own little daughter, her and Grumbuskin's. 

"What are gonna call her?" She asked, touching the downy black fur gently. Black fur – she noticed – that was striped with silver on the tiny arms, legs and face. 

Touching the silver and red flame on the kitten's chest, he smiled as she mewled in protest, her paws curling into her mother's thick fur. "Shes the new hope for the tribe." He murmured, running a finger across the soft headfur. 

"There speaks the Star Wars buff." Blaze chuckled, butting his chin with the top of her head. "But that's not a bad suggestion." She added after a pause. 

"What?"   
Smiling, Blaze kissed the little cheek. "Hope." She looked from the closed eyes of her kitten to the proud green eyes of the kitten's father. 

Nodding, he smiled dazzlingly. "I like it." Curling around them both, he pulled them closer to his body, carefully enveloping them in a warm embrace. "My Blaze and my little daughter, Hope." 

Safe in her parents arms, unaware of the life that lay ahead of her, Hope yawned and mewled, curling in a mass of fluffy black and silver-striped fur. The combination of her parents. Their hope for a new life. 


	13. The Newcomers: Book 1 - Part 13

A gust of wind swirled around his paws and he shivered, glancing over his shoulder back at the tower where he could see his mate watching from the high window

A gust of wind swirled around his feet and he shivered, glancing over his shoulder back at the tower where he could see his mate watching from the high window.

What he would give to be there, with his beautiful mate and adorable kitten, rather than trudging across the hills in search off food.

"Hey! Grum…" Genghis jabbed him sharply on the rump with the tip of his spear. "Get your head back where it should be…we have work to do, my friend…no time for daydreaming out here, ya know."

Grinning sheepishly, Grumbuskin rubbed his derriere with a soft chuckle. "I can't help it, Genghis…I mean, I have a kid! Me! I'm a daddy! I just can't get over it…can you? Can you believe it?"

"Well, considering that you haven't shut up about it for a week, I think I had realised before now." Genghis replied amiambly, clapping the tom on his shoulder. "But you were the one that said we should stock up on meat for winter…not daydream…"

Nodding, Grumbuskin cast one final glance over his shoulder. "I did notice that the animals seemed to be disappearing…" He mused. "You, know, Genghis, I say we move south…I mean, when Hope's old enough to travel. We should go where its warmer."

"Well, well." Genghis laughed as they slid into the undergrowth. "You're becoming quite the Yeahlika leader…must be a silver tabby thing…"

Grumbuskin frowned. "Do you think so?" Ducking behind a tree, as silent as a shadow, he glanced at his companion. "I dunno…we seem to be managing pretty well…"

"And yet, when anything important comes up, you always know what the best thing to do is."

"I'm no leader." Grumbuskin argued defiantly. "I don't have the brains or initiative …the looks, maybe, but nothing else."

"I wouldn't say that." Genghis gave him one of his quiet smiles. "You're protective of the group. You're trustworthy. You're strong and tough. You look like Munkustrap did…before. Dragon comes to you when Charumcah needs to know how the group are feeling. I'd say that you're our appointed leader."

"And watch my ego get so big it depletes our oxygen supply and we all die." Grumbuskin mumbled, diving into the shadows and out of sight. This was not what he wanted to be told. He would have been happy simply being the father and hunter...he could be a leader, but that was so much more than he had imagined.

Running a hand over his head, Genghis smiled to himself. The silver tabby would recognise his destiny. Just as they all would.

*

"Sunlight through the trees in summer, endless masquerading…" Blaze's haunting voice rose and fell as she stroked her suckling kitten's smooth fur with a contented smile, the feel of the tiny body pressed against hers more overwhelming than anything she could imagine.

Little Dragon joined in, singing the lines that had lead up to Grizabella's. "Like a flower, when the dawn is breaking…"

And as one they sang, their voices rising to a spine-thrilling crescendo. "The Memory is fading! Touch me…"

Immediately, little Hope broke off from her feed and gave a startlingly loud belch of indignation at the deafening distraction her mother and aunt were providing.

"Now that's just charming, young lady!" Laughing, Griddlebone looked over from across the room, where she sat braiding some more reeds to weave into baskets, her fingers moving skilfully in and out of the bunches of reed.

Lifting the week-old kitten with a smile, Blaze held her against her shoulder, gently rubbing the silky, black back until another loud blast of wind erupted from her, this time from the alternative end, but with equal ferocity.

"That's better, isn't it, beautiful?" The black queen shifted the kitten back to her breast, chuckling as one tiny black- and silver-striped hand wound around her black-furred finger, gripping it tightly. 

Hope gave a muffled "Meowpf." Of agreement, milk dribbling down her chin and dripping onto her thick fur.

Squatting beside Blaze, Little Dragon giggled. "You should really make a bib for her. Shes making such a mess on her pretty fur."

"Here." Tossing over a scrap of hide, Griddlebone smiled. "At least it'll keep her semi-clean, won't it?"

"She's very cute." Bill Bailey was sitting beside Dragon and peered over her shoulder at the kitten with a grin. "Can she see yet?"

McDuff rumbled a laugh. "I don't exactly hear her saying 'Oh, by the way mummy I can see a hairy, funny-faced guy staring at me' do you, Billy?"

Sticking his tongue out indignantly, Bill folded his arms around Little Dragon who arched her back against his chest and smiled. "Can't wait til we have kittens." She murmured, rubbing the top of her head under his chin playfully.

"Uh...excuse me?" Bill Bailey blinked sheepishly. "You don't intend that to happen any time soon do you?"

"You mean you don't want kittens?" Little Dragon's face fell.

"No! I mean...yes...Yes I do want kittens, but not yet...I mean...uh...." With the dopiest smile he could muster, he mumbled. "I love you, sweetpea."

"Nice try, Billy." McDuff grinned broadly with a yawn, scratching his thick greyish-ginger chest fur with a lazy hand, as Little Dragon huffily got to her feet and stomped away, out the front door of the tower.

"Hey," Bill shrugged with a grin. "Everyone knows what I'm like...why should Dragon get treated any different?"

Griddlebone and Blaze exchanged glances, the black queen shifting her infant awkwardly, as she regarded the little tomcat.

"That's just the thing, Billy." The White Persian murmured quietly, meeting his confused brown eyes. "You do have to treat her different...its the difference between being mates and between just being friends."

Gazing after his mate, the brown and white tom frowned pensively. "Do you think I should go after her?" He asked, rising to his feet as he spoke.

"I think you already know the answer to that, kitten." McDuff nodded towards the door. "Talk to her and don't forget to listen."

Nodding, the little tom ran off and Blaze turned to her companions. "Young love," She laughed with a bright smile. "Oy vey."

*

Sitting behind the tower, Little Dragon muttered the words of the Yeahlika songs, as she tore the meat into strips, venting her annoyance on the slashes of thick, tender meat. Skewering the meat with a stake, she hung it above one of the fires to be smoked.

Glancing at the massive stock-pile of smoky meat, she allowed herself a proud smile. They would have enough to get them through winter at the rates the toms were successfully hunting down the larger beasts.

A pile os skins were staked to various parts of the walls, drying out and Little Dragon knew several had been crafted into winter coats, lest their own fur coats were not thick enough to withstand the chill. She knew she a Genghis were the most likely candidates to use those coats, as the others had already started sprouting thick winter fur.

Smoothing the spotted fur, she sniffed the air and beyond the smoke, she knew that he was there, watching her.

"What do you want, Bill?" Not turning, she folded her arms.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry about what I said inside." He mumbled nervously, twisting his paws together shyly. "I just didn't know how to say it...it came out all wrong..." Stepping closer, he gently squeezed her shoulders. "I'm sorry if I upset you."

Lowering her head, Little Dragon tried to force back a smile. "I know you didn't mean it." She whispered. I just saw how happy Hope has made Blaze and Grumbuskin...I just want to be that happy too..."

"We will be." Bill Bailey smiled, nuzzling her smooth shoulder gently. "Just lets take a little time...just have some time on our own before we let a screaming kitten take over our lives...we are still young, Dragon."

Nodding, she whirled round and pinned him onto the thick heap of furs, purring against his lips as she kissed him hungrily. 

"I thought you were in a bad mood with me." He remarked cheekily, running his hands up her body. 

"I will be, if you don't shut up and behave." She murmured thickly, her hands pressing against his wiry, muscular shoulders.

Pulling her close, he sighed contentedly. "Me? Behave?" He shook his head, rolling over her and nuzzling down her body teasingly. "Can you imagine how you would cope if I did behave?"

"Heaviside help us." She replied, pulling him over her, as they sank into the soft warmth of the hide-pile.

*

Gently rocking the black kitten, McDuff glanced over at Griddlebone who was curled up beside Blaze, a lovely contrast of Blaze's unruly black and his mate's silky white fur mingling together.

For the hundredth time, he wondered why she stayed with him. He knew she loved another and – though he dearly loved her companionship – he didn't love her as a lover should.

Maybe they were just meant to be together…perhaps not. 

Kissing the top of the kitten's downy head, he sighed, silently praying to Charumcah that if he and Griddlebone were not truly meant to be mates, something would happen so they would be shown their true mates faces.

Leaning down on his side, he laid the sleepy kitten on the thick fur rug beside him, smiling fondly at her.

Maybe one day he would have his own kittens and would have a precious little mate to take care of as well. And maybe Genghis and Griddlebone would stop being so blind and admit how they felt about each other.

All the rest of the group could see it and he knew they didn't mention it for fear of upsetting him. Maybe when they finally got away from this place, there would be some changes.

He had heard Grumbuskin mention a journey to the south. Maybe something would happen when they went that way. There were a lot of 'maybes' worrying him, but right now, there was nothing he could do about them.

Standing up, he moved to the window and gazed out, taking in the scenery with a deep sigh. It had all changed so much since their arrival.

Going on how long they had been there, he assumed it was mid-Autumn, possibly the equivalent of September. All the trees were being stripped bare of their leaves by the ever-harsher winds.

Winters looked like they were hard in this place: Long, hard and cold. It was a matter of 

luck and blessing that would decide whether the little tribe of Yeahlika's would survive or not.

Leaning on the window-sill, McDuff sighed. Never a betting man, he would confidently have given a hundred to one odds on their survival had anyone asked. 

But no one had asked, so it was up to them to survive.


End file.
